


Dark Paradise

by ihearttvsnark, Sxymami0909



Category: Smallville
Genre: Badass Chloe, Crime Fighting, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship/Love, Gen, Oral Sex, Sex, dark oliver
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-08
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-08-20 06:21:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 54,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8239189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ihearttvsnark/pseuds/ihearttvsnark, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sxymami0909/pseuds/Sxymami0909
Summary: It had been five months since Oliver disappeared without a trace while out on a mission one night. Five months since he had darkened the doorstep of Watchtower. Five months since the team had their fearless leader harping on them for their silly extracurricular activities. Five months since Chloe lost her best friend and countless nights spent hunched over her computer system in an attempt to find and bring him home. Until one night he shows up, unharmed, smiling and ready to jump back into fighting the good fight. It’s almost too good to be true. No one questioned it, no one except Chloe. When missions start getting sabotaged and team members are picked off one-by-one it’s up to Chloe to decide what is more important. The heroes who protect the city or the man who made them and now might very well be out to destroy them all.





	1. Chapter 1

Chloe stood at the main console, her fingers flying swiftly across the keys typing in codes to access certain information as she stared at the large screen in front of her. It was Friday night just after midnight and Chloe was compiling a file from the week’s patrol schedule to send it over the server. There was a slight chill in Watchtower, but Chloe was used to it. The temperature tended to drop at night especially in their building.

“Give me one more minute and I’ll have everything compressed and sent over,” she said briefly glancing at the video feed in the upper left corner of her screen where Tess stood in Star City’s Watchtower. “How did things go tonight?” Chloe asked keeping her tone light even as her eyes darted to the clock once again checking the time and wondering why Bart hadn’t checked in with her yet.

Tess frowned, her eyes on the screen in front of her as she watched Hal's dot on the radar. "It's still going," she said, a hint of annoyance in her tone. The mission was mostly done, but Hal still had to round up one more suspect and Tess wasn't happy that he hadn't given her a progress report in over twenty minutes. That meant that he was taking an unnecessary risk, something he did a little too often for her liking.

But she wasn't going to question him; that would only distract him and she wasn't going to be responsible for him getting hurt. Tess glanced at the orange dot on the screen, noting that AC could reach Hal in a matter of seconds if he needed to and that was going to have to be enough. She finally turned her gaze to the corner of the screen and Chloe's video feed. "Any problems on your end?" she asked.

Chloe shook her head, “No, no problems on patrol,” she said as she pressed enter sending the compressed file over to Tess before glancing up again and resting her hands palms down on either side of her keyboard. “Things have been mild in Metropolis lately and Clark ran through patrol in less than three hours, with two sweeps.” Sometimes Chloe was convinced Clark actually liked having the city to himself again, not that she was surprised.

Clark always did like to do things on his own. “I’ve got Bart looking into a lead,” she commented not specifying what kind of a lead because Chloe knew Tess would know what she meant. It was always the same thing, but this time she really was hoping for a different result. “He’s a little late checking in. Clark is on standby so if I don’t hear from Bart soon I’ll send him out.” She explained even though she knew Clark hated what he deemed pointless trips. Chloe also knew he’d do it though, for her and for Lois.

"He hasn't checked in?" Tess asked. Her voice remained even, but as hard as she tried, she couldn't keep that hint of hope from making itself known in her chest. She was a rational person; she believed in facts, but she'd seen enough things in her life to know that sometimes logic was defied. She was, after all, helping to run a team of superheroes in her spare time.

"What kind of lead was it?" Again, Tess knew it was a mistake to get overly invested. It had been five months and every lead that had seemed promising had failed to pan out. But it wasn't like they'd found a body either and she knew better than anyone that meant there was still a chance, even if it was a small one.

Chloe caught the other woman’s gaze through the video feed, not missing the hope in Tess’s voice. “A news outlet said they caught a glimpse of Oliver Queen in France.” Chloe admitted. She knew there were false reports all the time, but she had cross referenced this and it seemed like a solid lead. “I sent him there a while ago and he was supposed to check it at midnight my time,” Chloe knew that didn’t necessarily mean anything, but she had to hope that it did.

Tess nodded, not saying anything for a moment as her eyes drifted back to the dots on her screen and the one that was conspicuously absent. Even after all these months, there was a part of her that still expected it to just randomly start blinking. She supposed hoping that Oliver had really been spotted in France was more or less the same thing. "It's been awhile since anyone has made a claim," she commented.

Chloe looked away from the screen, her chest tightening slightly at Tess’s words. “It has.” There hadn’t been many leads since Oliver disappeared and though the team was getting tired of all the disappointment, Chloe knew they would go wherever she sent them when it came to trying to find Oliver. She cleared her throat and pushed her wandering thoughts aside knowing she needed to focus on the here and now for the moment. “Anything else to report in?”

"No," Tess replied. Despite the fact that less crime was a good thing, it still felt disappointing. The team did their jobs day and night, but everyone knew it wasn't the same and may never be again. They all shared the guilt, even as they tried to hold out hope. "What about you?" she asked, forcing her thoughts back to the present. "Are things still okay there?"

Chloe’s fingers itched to move against the keyboard, the need to do something, anything strong, but she fought the urge and instead busied herself with gripping the mug to the right of her as she glanced up at the video feed. “As okay as they can be.” She told her quietly knowing that despite the fact that things were normal on the crime front, Watchtower itself wasn’t normal without Oliver.

Chloe had been friends with him for years and when he first put together the Watchtower command center for her, it was a home away from home. Now, even though she spent most of her time there, it felt empty and cold. Chloe had spent five long months trying to figure out how things had gone so wrong that night and the answer still eluded her.

Her thoughts fell from her mind when she heard her name being called. Chloe blinked and looked at Tess again, shaking her head as she tightened her grip on the coffee mug realizing she’d lost herself in her thoughts again. “Sorry,” she apologized and pursed her lips. “But like I said, things are as normal as they can be.” Chloe paused momentarily, “How’s Hal?”

"Annoying," Tess replied automatically. They all had the roles that they played; doing their best to pretend things were the same. She and Hal had bickered since the day they met; they still did, but like everything else in their lives, it wasn't quite the same with Oliver gone. "He's supposed to check in with me once he finishes." Her eyes went to his dot and she noticed it was on the move, which meant he'd be there soon. "Victor called earlier and he's going to need some extra time in Thailand, but he doesn't want reinforcements yet."

Chloe frowned, her brow creasing. “Is everything okay? Did he say why he needed more time?” She asked wondering what could be happening that was making things difficult for him. It wasn’t that Chloe was some kind of worry wart. But ever since Oliver disappeared she’d been meticulous about keeping an eye on team members. Chloe knew where everyone was pretty much all the time.

"He's on his way back now and I will definitely get some answers from him as to why he felt it was okay to break protocol," Tess assured her. She pushed a button on her dash to activate AC's com. "Aquaman, you're off the clock for the night." She waited for his response and then turned her attention back to Chloe. "I'm sure Hal just saw a shiny object or something," she grumbled.

“I take offense to that,” Hal said as he walked through the doors, the mask over his eyes dissipating as he made his way further into the room. “It didn’t take that long,” he said as the green gloves he wore melted into his skin. Hal sent Tess half a smirk, “I take it you missed me Red,” he joked before catching sight of the computer screen.

Hal paused when he spotted Chloe on the video feed and nodded in her direction. “Hey Blondie,” his tone was light, but he couldn’t seem to stop his smile from falling. Hal liked Chloe, she was a nice girl and they were friendly, but every time he saw her he couldn’t help thinking of his best friend and he wasn’t sure why that was.

Chloe could practically see his body tense over the video feed and she swallowed hard, a hint of familiar guilt sparking in her chest. “Hi, Hal.” She glanced at her coffee mug and then back at the screen. “Well, I should probably let you go. You’ve got all the files and you can always call me if you need anything else. I’ll be here.” She said sending the other woman a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

"Thanks, Chloe," Tess said, "And please let me know if there are any developments on your end." She was referring to Bart, but she didn't want to say anything in front of Hal. There was no point in getting everyone's hopes up over something that might not turn out to be anything. She disconnected the call, made sure AC's com was off and then turned to face Hal.

Even though she hadn't been facing his direction, she'd heard the hint of tension in his voice that always seemed to be there when he spoke to Chloe lately. On some level, Hal blamed Chloe, Clark and even Lois, for what happened to Oliver because he'd last been seen in Metropolis. She wasn't sure Hal was evenly consciously aware that he did it and she wasn't about to point it out. Everyone dealt with things the best they could.

"You disobeyed protocol," Tess commented, arching an eyebrow at Hal and bringing the conversation back to the evening's mission. "What is so hard about pushing that little button and checking in?" she asked.

Hal leaned against the computer and crossed his arms lightly over his chest as he watched her. A slow grin slid onto his face as he cocked his head to the side. “Maybe I like getting a rise out of you,” he said as he ticked his head motioning for her to come closer.

"Or you like torturing me," Tess countered, her tone bored. She was relieved that he was back and in one piece, but she was not about to give him the satisfaction of admitting that. "Is there a reason you're not giving me a full debriefing? What took you so long?"

Hal sighed rolling his eyes up to briefly before his gaze found Tess’s again. “I took a quick detour to Coast City,” he explained, “I just wanted to check on things one last time before making my way back here.” She uncrossed his arms and rested them behind him against the desk. “You really need to table those control freak urges of yours,” he said trying not to smile. “I’m fine and the city safe.” He told her with a shrug.

Tess rolled her eyes. "You're a jackass." She turned her back on him, busying herself at the computer console. "AC was on standby, but I cut him loose for the night once I saw you were moving in this direction. Vic called and he needs more time to prove his case and Chloe said everything is quiet on her end." She noted that the files Chloe had sent had come through and logged out of the system, figuring those could wait until morning.

Hal activated his ring and his suit retracted. He turned and watched Tess working on the computer as he came up behind her, his chest just inches from her back. Hal placed his hands on either side of her essentially trapping her between him and the computer console. “Victor probably needed to recharge and you weren’t exactly calling me an ass last night,” he commented casually as he leaned his head near her ear.

A slow smile spread across her face, her body instantly recalling how they'd spent the previous night. But she steeled her expression before turning to face Hal, sending him a bored look. "Maybe you weren't paying close enough attention. Besides, that was at my place. This is the office," she reminded him. The terms of their deal strictly stated that business and what they did when no one was around were never going to mix.

Hal grunted and dropped his head momentarily holding in a sigh as his hands clenched against the console. He lifted his head a minute later and stepped back from her. “You and your rules,” he said as he caught her gaze but then shrugged it off as he turned and walked away from her head to the refrigerator to grab a beer.

“So what’s going on?” He asked, “You mentioned something about developments to Chloe, there a new mission going on?” He asked closing the refrigerator and popping open a beer as he turned to face her.

"Not exactly," Tess replied. His 'rules' comment wasn't anything new, but it still gave her pause. Sometimes she wondered if their arrangement wasn't enough for Hal. Sometimes she wondered if it wasn't enough for her. But Tess pushed those thoughts aside. No matter how much they bickered or teased each other, they didn't lie to one another and he'd asked her a question.

"Chloe sent Bart to France to check out a possible lead. She hasn't heard back from him yet and he was supposed to check in almost an hour ago." She left it at that, knowing Hal would understand what, or who, she was talking about.

Hal stopped moving at her words and pursed his lips, his hand tightening on the neck of his beer. “She sent Bart?” He asked his tone clipped. “Why wouldn’t she call here so that I could go?” Hal new that the leads coming in were getting further and further apart as the days went on, and it was important for them to jump on them as soon as they came in, but Oliver was his best friend. He should have been the one to go.

It was bad enough that Oliver disappeared in Metropolis, but he was stronger than Bart and if something went wrong Hal would never forgive then.

"Because you were in the middle of a mission and Bart is the fastest," Tess replied. She moved away from the console and went to Hal, placing her hand on his arm. "It wasn't a knock against you; it was just the best option at the time. That's all any of us can do," she said quietly.

Hal’s jaw clenched, but he nodded at her words. He knew what she was saying was true, but it was hard. Ever since Oliver disappeared the guilt had been building inside of him. He should have been there. He should have found his friend already and yet he’d failed. Hal took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I know,” he said finally as he unclenched his body.

Tess brought her hand to his cheek, but didn't say anything, giving him a moment to his thoughts. There wasn't anything she could say to make it better. The only fix would be Oliver walking through the door and she couldn't make that happen, no matter how much she wished she had that power. "It's been a long night," she said finally. "Why don't you escort me home?"

Hal arched an eyebrow at Tess’s words distracting him from his thoughts of Oliver. “I guess I can do that.” He said while meeting her gaze, “You done here for the night then?” He asked as he cocked his head to the side. Tess was a good distraction, not that, that’s all she was. He cared about her and this thing between them might have started as a way to comfort each other, but he was pretty sure it was veering into something else.

"I'm done," Tess replied. She grabbed her purse from the chair she'd tossed it on earlier and then held out her free hand to Hal. "We're off the clock, right?" she teased, attempting to lighten the heaviness that had fallen over the room. She knew better than to think either of them would ever forget the pain they struggled with each day, but sometimes they had to put it aside for the night or it would drive them both over the edge.

Hal studied her for a minute before taking a swig of his beer and then resting the bottle on the counter. He reached out and took her hand, a grin pulling at his lips, though the sadness in his eyes didn’t clear fully. “That we are.” He said giving her a gentle tug toward the door. “Good thing too because I’ve got plans for you tonight,” he said, mischief coloring his as he brushed his thumb over her hand.

"That sounds...promising." Tess smiled at him and then let him lead her toward the door. She couldn't help wondering if Bart had reported back to Chloe, but she knew if he had any kind of news, Chloe would call them. In the meantime, Tess figured a night of distraction would be good for Hal and for her. It might not take the pain away, but at least neither of them had to be alone.

 

______

 

Chloe ended the phone call and bowed her head, sighing as her chest once again grew tight. It was a false lead. It was _always_ a false lead. Chloe took a minute to pull herself together before she turned back to the computer and opened up the facial recognition software. She pulled up a picture of Oliver from close to six months ago and synced it up with the system before expanding the search once again running his face through every database she could possibly find.

Chloe knew the likelihood of getting the results she wanted was slim, but she had to try. She couldn’t give up on him because Oliver had never given up on her. Chloe could still remember the day he offered her a permanent position as Watchtower. It had given her purpose at a time when she wasn’t sure she had one left.

But Oliver always made her feel important and needed no matter where he was on the globe with the team. He made her a part of his team and shared everything with her always taking her opinions to heart. Chloe’s fingers paused on the keyboard and she closed her eyes momentarily to try and focus the emotions building inside of her.

Oliver was her best friend, they’d grown close over the years and she was pretty sure she knew him almost as well as she knew herself and vice versa. Chloe missed him and part of that was the reason she knew she’d never stop looking for him.

The security system was currently being overhauled in the background on her computer as she continued scanning results from the facial recognition software, not noticing the quiet chime and switch in the color of lights on the bottom right hand of her screen indicating someone was making their way up the elevator and into Watchtower.

The elevator doors opened and he listened to the familiar hum of machinery as he walked toward the double doors. It was late so the place was quieter than it normally was. As much as he enjoyed the hustle and bustle of teamwork, he preferred the quiet to the noise, not that he'd ever share that little tidbit. He opened the double doors and walked into the main room, spotting Chloe at the computer.

He started to call out to her, but then stopped when he saw his face on the screen. "Is there a reason you're searching all the databases for me?" Oliver asked, amused. "Aren't there real criminals out there you should be using our resources to find?"

Chloe froze her body stiffening at the sound of Oliver’s voice. Were things really so extreme that she was hallucinating? Chloe turned around slowly her eyes widening when she spotted Oliver standing there amusement clear on his face. “I,” her words her, “What,” they failed her once again and she closed her mouth and swallowed hard not moving for a solid minute or two. “Oliver?” She asked uncertainty clear in her voice, not sure if what she was seeing was real.

"Last time I checked," Oliver replied. He couldn't help smiling at the confused look on her face, something he definitely wasn't used to seeing. Chloe was the sharpest person he knew; she never missed anything. "Seriously Sidekick, I don't think I've ever seen you at a loss for words before."

The sound of the familiar nickname snapped her out of her thoughts. One minute Chloe was standing near the computers and the next her feet were carrying her toward Oliver. She threw her arms around his neck, her body colliding with his. Chloe tightened her grip on him as she hugged him a smile brightening her face for the first time in a long time. “Oh my god, you’re here, how are you here? What happened? Are you okay?” The words all left her mouth in a rush, but she couldn’t seem to stop them she needed to know everything.

Oliver laughed and wrapped his arms around her. "I don't think you've ever given me such an enthusiastic greeting. I didn't realize you cared so much," he teased. "And yes, I'm fine," he added. "I got here the usual way. I drove since it's a little cold for the walk. Still not sure why you're so in favor of this four seasons thing. You'd like California." Oliver had been telling her for years that she was missing out by staying in the Midwest, but Chloe insisted she loved fall and winter, even with the rain, cold and snow.

“I’m sure I would, but nothing beats the smell of October and trees covered in snow,” Chloe said while pulling away from him enough to see his face as her hands slid down his arms. She kept them there as her brows once again creased in confusion. “Drove here…Oliver you’ve been gone _five_ months, what happened to you? Where have you been all this time?” She asked the worry that she didn’t usually exhibit clear in her voice.

"Hey, relax," Oliver said. He reached out and brushed a piece of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "I got abducted. It wasn't the first time; we both know it's probably not the last. But I'm back now. Any chance you've got some Chinese food stashed here? I tried to order some from my place, but they were closed." Without waiting for an answer, he moved away from her and headed toward the kitchen to check the refrigerator.

Chloe blinked her frown deepening as she turned to follow after him, “Abducted? By who? Where?” She asked as she followed him into the kitchen. “Oliver you dropped completely off the grid. Clark couldn’t find you, Victor couldn’t find you, _I_ couldn’t find you.” Chloe stressed. “What happened? How’d you get away and why didn’t you get in touch with us?” She inquired confused as to why he didn’t think this was a bigger deal.

"I'm in touch with you now," Oliver pointed out. He opened the refrigerator and spotted the familiar containers. "I knew I could count on you, Sidekick." He pulled them out and set them on the counter, moving to grab a plate. "Do you want some too?" he asked, glancing back at Chloe over his shoulder.

Chloe didn’t know what to say. Oliver was acting strange, it wasn’t like him to completely ignore what was going on, then again he looked okay. Maybe he couldn’t bring himself to talk about what happened just yet. Maybe the reason he hadn’t contacted them was because he was trying to pull himself back together.

Chloe wasn’t sure, but for right now she just wanted to be happy that he was back. “I guess,” she said her tone light, “I’m just going to call Tess, I’ll be right back okay?” She said as she started to turn around so she could go get her cell phone from the computer console.

"Sure," Oliver replied. He busied himself with adding food to the plates and then putting them in the microwaves. While he waited, Oliver leaned back against the counter, absently rubbing the back of his neck. Chloe was acting strange, but he figured she was just tired. She'd probably been overworking herself lately.

Chloe picked up her phone and pressed the number ‘2’ speed dial as she glanced at Oliver out of the corner of her eye. He seemed to be waiting for the food to heat up while rubbing his neck. Chloe pursed her lips and shifted so her back was facing him as she waited for Tess to pick up.

"Wait, my phone," Tess reluctantly pushed Hal away from her neck and shifted beneath him so she could reach her phone on the coffee table. She ignored the petulant look he shot her and glanced at the caller ID. "It's Chloe." Tess sat up and brought the phone to her ear. "Chloe, is everything okay?" Her heart was suddenly pounding in her chest for a new reason that had nothing to do with Hal's mouth.

Chloe swallowed hard, “Oliver is here,” before Tess could say anything Chloe continued, “Bart didn’t bring him back, the lead was false.” She explained her voice low, “But then Oliver just,” she paused glancing over at him, “He just walked through the door. He’s here, he’s really here.” Chloe wasn’t sure what was going on with him, but for the moment she was going to focus on the fact that she was glad to have him back.

"Oliver is there?" Tess cried, her eyes widening as she turned to Hal. "What do you mean he's there? Is he okay?" Most of Chloe's words had gotten lost in the shuffle as her brain tried to process the fact that Oliver was back.

Hal was standing automatically already activating his ring to get into his gear. Chloe spoke calmly over the phone, “He seems to be fine, I think you should grab the team and come to Metropolis.” Chloe heard the sound of the microwave beep and she glanced back at Oliver. “Do you think you can be here by the morning?” She asked not sure how she was managing to be so calm, but she wanted to talk to Oliver before anyone got there and see if she could try to figure out where he’d been for the past five months.

"I think Hal is ready to come now," Tess replied, raising an eyebrow at him. She reached out and placed her free hand on his arm, giving him a look that suggested he calm down for a moment. "Chloe, is something wrong with Oliver?" There was something in the other woman's voice that didn't seem right. Oliver showing up was what they'd all been praying for, but Chloe didn't seem exactly happy about it.

“No,” Chloe said immediately before hesitating and correcting her words. “I’m not sure. I just need a little time, any chance you can hold Hal off until the morning? I want to talk to Oliver.” She said as she started walking toward the kitchen. His movements seemed fine, he looked healthy and he seemed perfectly normal, but that was sort of the problem.

"Okay," Tess said. That was going to be an uphill battle, but she could probably manage. "I'll let everyone else know and we'll see you guys in the morning." She had a million questions, but all that mattered was that Oliver was back.

“Thanks Tess,” she said genuinely before telling her she’d see them tomorrow and disconnecting the call. Chloe put her phone down on the kitchen counter and smiled at Oliver, “Is it good?” She asked lightly.

Oliver nodded around the mouthful of food and then reached for the bottle of water he'd grabbed, taking a long sip before speaking. "It's been forever since I had Chinese food. How long was I gone? Five months?" He shook his head. "The accommodations weren't exactly the luxury variety, but what else is new? So catch me up," he said, motioning for her to start talking as he lifted his plate fork again.

Chloe leaned against the counter and rested her hands on the counter. “Before we play catch up I’m going to need a little more to go on Oliver,” she tilted her head to the side, “I need to know what happened. You were on patrol and you just disappeared.” She said softly. “I’d like to catch the people that did this, but I can’t do that if you don’t tell me what happened. Five months is a long time to be gone.”

"I'm fine, Chloe, better than fine," Oliver corrected. He set his plate down. "I was on patrol near the docks and I saw something suspicious so I went to investigate. The next thing I remember, I was naked, blindfolded and strapped to a chair." Again, it wasn't the first time he'd ended up a hostage so he'd only been mildly concerned about his predicament. "They wanted information from me, I didn't want to give it to them. Eventually, they got tired of asking and dumped me on the side of the road. I went home, took a shower and then came to see you."

Chloe’s brows furrowed again, “They just let you go like that?” She asked wondering why they would hold him for five months only to let him go. “Did you see any faces? Do you know why they wanted information? I mean like I said before, five months is a long time.” She repeated. She missed him and she knew everyone else did too. But she wanted to make sure he was as okay as he seemed.

"It doesn't matter." Oliver moved around the counter until he was standing in front of her and placed both hands on her shoulders. "I live to fight another day and I'm back now. The rest was just a bump in the road. Don't worry so much," he said before he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Now are you really going to make me eat alone?"

Chloe opened her mouth to argue and tell him it did matter, but she didn’t have the heart to do it at the moment. Maybe she was overthinking things. Oliver was back and really when it came down to it that’s what mattered. Chloe smiled softly, “Of course not. Why don’t we go sit down,” she suggested.

"Now we're talking." Oliver winked at her and then picked up both plates of food, carrying them into the other room toward the couch. "So how have you been? I guess five months is a long time." Logically, he knew that, but time moved differently for people. He'd been too busy to really think about how long he'd been gone.

Chloe followed him to the couch and sat down reaching out for the plate he carried for her. “I’ve been worried,” she admitted, “We’ve been looking for you, but Tess and I have also kept things going. The team is still functioning and things have been going well on that front,” she said before pulling a forkful of food into her mouth.

"There was never a doubt in my mind," Oliver replied. He took another bite of food and then set the plate down on the coffee table, not saying anything for a minute. "Are you guys working on any big cases? Anything local?" he asked.

The quick change of subject made her set her plate down by his before angling her body in his direction. “Nothing at the moment, we actually just finished up a few today. Victor was working on something with AC, Bart just got back from France and Clark has been patrolling the city. I did find something I was going to brief the guys and Tess on tomorrow.” She explained knowing Oliver had trouble sitting still and liked to throw himself into things.

“I’ve got a few leads on some thefts, one on an underground fighting ring where the fighters fight to the death, and another on some kind of gun running operation though I don’t have all the information on that just yet.”

"Interesting," Oliver commented. "Then again, there never is a dull moment around here. I need to check in at the office. I assume Tess has kept things running smoothly in my absence and gave the usual 'Oliver's on one of his bender' excuses." He laughed at the absurdity of it. "But just let me know what you need me to do. First step is probably getting a new uniform since they didn't give me mine back. I hate replacing bows," he muttered, annoyed.

Chloe sent him a strange look, “You can always use your spare uniform, I think it’s still here unless you moved it,” she commented. Chloe hesitated, “Are you sure you’re ready to get back out there right away? Why don’t you take a couple of days, plus the team will be here tomorrow morning, they want to see you.” She said with a smile.

Oliver frowned. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said after a moment. His eyes drifted in the direction of the loft above their heads. They all kept extra equipment up there. "I might be a little rusty and I could probably use some weight training, but you know I'm not one to sit on my hands."

“I know,” Chloe said softly. She was silent for another minute before reaching out and resting a hand on his arm. “You’re sure you’re okay? Do you need anything?” She wondered if it was shock that was making Oliver deal with things so well, that maybe he hadn’t fully accepted what had happened to him, but she wasn’t sure.

"Chloe, have I ever lied to you?" Oliver asked. He placed his hand over hers and waited for her eyes to meet his gaze. "I'm fine. I've been through a lot worse in my life and all that matters is that I'm back now and I don't plan on going anywhere. I'm sorry you were scared, but I'm here now."

Chloe scrunched her nose, “I wasn’t scared,” she told him while angling her head to the side, “I was worried. That’s all.” She commented lightly as she sent him a half-smile.

"Scared and worried mean the same thing, Sidekick," Oliver replied. He winked at her and reached for the plate again. "Either way, I appreciate your concern. It's good to see you and it's nice to be back."

Chloe chuckled softly and rolled her eyes, “It’s good to have you back,” she said before following his lead and reaching her plate. Tomorrow everyone else would be there and maybe she could finally get him to open up and talk about what happened. It would take time, but Chloe would do whatever it took to help him.


	2. Chapter 2

Oliver smiled at the hostess, who seemed a little flustered as she led him to his usual table in the back where Hal was already waiting. Oliver ordered two drinks for them and took a seat across from his friend. "Hey man, sorry I'm late, but these board meetings have been brutal."

It had been almost a week since he'd returned to the office and after dealing with lectures about his irresponsible behavior, Oliver had reminded everyone that he was in charge and it was time to get back to work. Unfortunately, that meant long hours. "What about you? Are you on leave?"

Hal nodded as he reached for his drink and smiled at his friend. "I took some personal time," he admitted, "I thought I’d hang around town for a bit." It had been about a week since his best friend had miraculously reappeared and while Hal was incredibly happy that Oliver was okay, something felt off.

He tried getting his friend to open up about what happened, but all Oliver kept saying was that it didn't matter and that wasn't like him. Usually Hal was the only person Oliver would talk to, but not this time and that worried him.

"That's fine with me. Tess mentioned she was heading over to Watchtower to help Chloe," Oliver commented. Since Tess was in Metropolis, she'd been stuck in meetings with him all day, but he'd appreciated the support. The board knew they didn't have any grounds to stand on when Tess had handled everything in his absence. "Speaking of Tess," he started, pausing when the server dropped off their drinks. Oliver thanked her and then turned back to Hal, "How long have you two been hooking up?"

Hal glanced up at Oliver and arched an eyebrow. "I have no idea what you're talking about." he said, but the corner of his lips turned up in smirk. "What would give you that idea?" He asked while bringing his beer to his lips again and taking another sip.

"I think your nose just grew, Pinocchio." Oliver took a sip of his drink, amused that Hal wasn't even attempting to make him believe that he was wrong. "I knew from the moment you two showed up at Watchtower after I got back. What's with the secrecy?" he asked.

Hal shrugged, “Not so much secrecy as privacy,” he explained not wanting his friend to think he was ashamed of anything. “Tess and I are friends, when you were gone we both needed a little comfort and one night turned into two and so on.” Hal leaned back in his seat and caught Oliver’s gaze. “We’re friends….plus,” he joked, “And we just don’t want other people judging and prying.”

Neither of them did relationships well and they’d been too upset with Oliver gone to admit it was anything more than just sex, but Hal was okay with that for now. “But it’s not a big deal. I was hoping we could actually talk about you,” he said lightly taking another sip from his beer. “How are you holding up man, really?”

"Hey, I'm the last person that's ever going to judge," Oliver said before taking another sip of his drink. "It's none of my business what you and Tess want to do in your spare time." Oliver wasn't really surprised that they'd taken things to the next level; they'd been bickering since the day they met and he'd always suspected there was more to it. He set his glass down, not saying anything for a moment as he considered his friend's question.

"I'm holding up fine," Oliver said. "I know you guys are concerned, but it's over now. I'm back, I'm in one piece and I'm anxious to get back to work, even though I'm pretty sure my trusty sidekick is keeping me in the dark." Every time he asked Chloe about missions, she was vague and kept telling him that they were still waiting for the pieces to fall into place.

Hal glanced down at his beer as he slid his thumb over the condensation on the bottle. “She’s just worried about you man,” rightfully so he added silently. Hal knew everyone was glad Oliver was back and hew as too, but everyone aside from Chloe just accepted his explanations, but Hal just felt like there was more to it.

He glanced up and Oliver and continued talking, “Chloe spent a lot of time and resources searching for you,” he commented, holding his friends gaze, “She never gave up and I think she just wants to make sure nothing like this happens again. Chloe probably wants to make sure whoever took you is behind bars before you head out there on the streets again. She’s looking out for you.”

Hal knew he’d been tense around Chloe since Oliver went missing, but he knew how hard she worked trying to figure out what happened to their friend and he knew she was worried now that something wasn’t quite right. Hal knew Oliver trusted Chloe implicitly, and over time Hal had learned to put his trust in her judgment too.

"I get that," Oliver said. He took another sip of his drink and tried to taper his annoyance. It wouldn't help the point he was trying to make if he suddenly started lashing out. "But keeping me in the dark isn't going to help me get past losing five months of my life. It's only going to make it feel like there's something still wrong and there's not." He met Hal's gaze across the table, wanting him to understand that he was being serious.

"Being a part of the team is who I am," Oliver said, lowering his voice even though there was no one seated close to them. "I can't just sit on the sidelines because Chloe's concerned that I'm having some kind of episode. You've been kidnapped before," he pointed out, "Wasn't getting back to work your first priority?"

Hal hesitated, “Yeah, of course.” He said his tone light, “Why don’t you talk to her about it?” He suggested, “Maybe she doesn’t realize she’s even doing it. You never know. Aren’t you the one who’s always saying Chloe gets that this is who you?” he asked before taking another sip of his beer. “I’m sure it’ll all blow over, after all you’re feeling good…Right?” Hal knew what Oliver was going to say, and he didn’t understand how his friend was not reacting to what happened.

"I feel great," Oliver assured his friend. "It wasn't like I had much to do in captivity so I still kept in shape the best I could. I've been doing strength training since I got back. But you're right; I'll talk to her again." He finished his drink and signaled the waitress for another one. "So how long are you sticking around Metropolis?"

Hal sent him a thoughtful look. “Probably another week. I can’t take off for too long and I know Tess has things to do back in Star City,” he explained. Hal could see that he wasn’t getting anywhere at the moment so he decided to just let the inquisition rest for the moment. “Well I for one am glad you’re back. Outside of getting out there and patrolling what else have you spent the past five months missing?” He asked with a grin.

Oliver laughed. "Do you want a complete list or the short version?" He'd missed a lot of things while he'd been gone. "It's nice to be able to go out and appreciate the scenery," he commented as his eyes drifted toward the dance floor. "The booze is nice too."

Hal chuckled, “Well you’ve got it all back now,” he was silent for a minute before clearing his throat, “Look man I know you don’t want to talk about what happened and I respect that.” He said continuing before Oliver could speak. “But I want you to know that if you ever want to talk or anything I’m here.”

"I appreciate that," Oliver said, "But I'm fine." He kept his voice even, not wanting to seem irritated. He understood why his friends were worried, but there was no reason to be. "So this thing you've got with Tess that you don't want to talk about, is that going to stop you from joining me over there?" He inclined his head toward a group of women that were standing near the bar. "I'm sure the ladies would appreciate some drinks."

Hal glanced over at the group of women and shook his head, “Nope,” he said as he gripped his beer and smiled at his friend, “I can play wing man,” he said with a grin. It didn’t mean he had to go home with any of them. He didn’t need to. Hal was perfectly happy with his arrangement with Tess.

"Great, let's go," Oliver replied. He wasn't particularly in the mood to pick up a woman, but he figured some harmless flirting would keep Hal off his back once his friend saw that he was behaving like his normal self.

 

______

 

Chloe grabbed the wine glasses and made her way back into the main room at Watchtower. She walked over to the console and held one of the glasses out to Tess before glancing up at the screen. “I thought we could use something a little stronger tonight.” She commented as she frowned at the screen. “Still no matches on the latest guy?” She asked. Oliver and Hal had gone out a little over an hour ago and Tess had decided to come help Chloe ID a few of the men from Bart’s surveillance photos.

“Bart said these guys are definitely part of that underground fighting ring. They’re the lacky’s who pick out the people they want for the fighting ring. It’s weird though, they aren’t in any police databases,” she explained as her gaze drifted to Tess. Chloe was trying to keep her mind off of the strange vibe she was getting from Oliver by focusing on work and hoping Hal would be able to get some information out of him.

"Thanks," Tess said as she absently took a sip of wine while she studied the photos, trying to figure out what they were missing. "It seems unlikely that people with no criminal past would suddenly want to compete in a fight club. There has to be something we're not seeing."

Chloe nodded, “I agree,” she said while watching the screen as if answers where just going to pop up. “What if they’ve been wiped from the system?” Chloe turned her head in Tess’s direction, “That way if they were caught they couldn’t be found? It’s possible that someone is deleting criminal history. I can run the pictures through the department of motor vehicles,” she commented before taking a sip of her wine and then placing the glass down.

"There's a thought," Tess said. She took another sip of wine and considered it. "If that's the case, there's a good chance they're connected to the arms' dealers, which means that organized crime has settled in to the city." Mob activity was nothing new, but all of these crimes couldn't be a coincidence.

Chloe sighed, “Of course it’s the mob,” she grunted. “You know I think out of all the things we deal with organized crime is my _least_ favorite.” She commented before running through photos through the DMV database and then angling her body so it was facing Tess. “I’ll let this run for a while and hopefully later tonight or tomorrow we’ll have some names.” She said with a smile.

Chloe studied Tess for a minute before meeting the other woman’s gaze. “So how long are you guys planning to stay in town?”

"That is debatable," Tess replied. "Hal's got a few more days of leave, but I don't think he's in any hurry to get back. He's worried about Oliver. You are too." It wasn't a question because she could practically see the concern coming from the other woman anytime Oliver was around.

Chloe pursed her lips, “I’m that obvious huh?” She asked with a small smile before sighing softly. “He seems perfectly fine,” she admitted honestly, “And _that’s_ the problem.” Chloe said before lifting the wine glass to her lips and taking a healthy sip. “After five months of being held against his will he’s awfully well adjusted.”

Tess nodded. "He does seem a little too put together." She'd noticed it at the office. Oliver was as cool as a cucumber, which wasn't new, but it did seem strange after what had happened to him. Not that they knew what had happened. "He doesn't want to talk about it, but he doesn't seem bothered by it either."

Chloe nodded, “Exactly, doesn’t that seem odd to you?” She asked gripping her glass tighter as she tilted her head to the side, “Or do I seem completely ridiculous?” She said with a short laugh.

Tess shook her head. "It does seem a little strange, but it could just be Oliver's way of coping with things." She hesitated, not sure if she wanted to say more because she didn't want to make things harder on Chloe. "He keeps saying it's not the first time something like this has happened, but aside from the shipwreck, this is the longest he's ever been held prisoner. Why did they let him go?"

Chloe shook her head; she had been wondering the same thing. “Your guess is as good as mine. He keeps saying it’s because they didn’t get the answer’s they wanted, but if that’s the case,” she paused, “I feel like they wouldn’t have let him go.” She didn’t want to say they would kill him, but she felt like that was an accurate train of thought.

Tess didn't want to think about the alternative either, but she couldn't help it. "Maybe they did realize that he would be useless to them." She shook her head. "Or maybe we should just be grateful that he's back and leave it at that."

Chloe gave Tess half a smile, “Maybe you’re right.” She said before taking another sip of her wine. “How are things in California? Anything new going on?” She inquired casually as she met Tess’s gaze.

Tess shook her head. "Things have been quiet, which probably won't last, but we'll take it for now. I need to head back this weekend to prep for meetings next week, even if Hal ends up staying here longer. 

Chloe arched an eyebrow a hint of a smile pulling at the corner of her lips. “That’s good to know, but I meant what’s new with you, you know in your life.” She said amused.

"Oh," Tess replied. She rolled her eyes and took another sip of wine. "When was the last time any of us had any social interaction?" she asked dryly.

Chloe smirked, “If that’s the way you want to play it I’ll accept that.” She told her amused as she took another sip of wine. Chloe was pretty sure something was going on with Tess and Hal, but it was possible she could be wrong.

"Meaning?" Tess asked. Raising an eyebrow at Chloe, noting the smirk on her face. "Do you know something I don't?" she asked.

Chloe smiled, “No, I’m pretty sure you know this too,” she teased. “You and Hal seem to be getting along slightly better than the last time I saw the two of you.” She commented as she glanced at the wine in her glass. Chloe knew Tess wasn’t one for girl talk, but she did consider them friends.

"We've gotten used to each other," Tess replied. She finished off her wine and wished they'd never started down this particular path of questions. "But that's all it is. I should probably get going. Since Oliver and Hal are out doing whatever tonight, someone should make sure everything is ready for tomorrow's meetings."

Chloe watched her for a minute and then nodded, “I don’t want to keep you,” she said respecting the fact that Tess clearly didn’t want to talk about it. “When I get the search result I’ll let you know.” The sound of the double doors being pushed open made her blink. She glanced at the computer and sighed at the notification that she’d missed. Chloe really needed to pay better attention to the system.

“Hello ladies,” Hal said grin on his face as he made his way into Watchtower with Oliver by his side.

Tess raised an eyebrow, surprised to see them back so soon. "This might be a new record. Did the bar run out of alcohol or were the women just not interested?"

"Oh they were interested," Oliver assured her. He slapped Hal on the back. "My wingman here got three numbers. Excuse me," he said when his cell phone buzzed. Oliver immediately turned and walked back out of the room, letting the doors close behind him.

Hal tensed at his friends words and glanced between Chloe and Tess. He let out a nervous chuckle, “He’s kidding of course it wasn’t three.” He said as he rubbed the back of his neck. He seriously wished Oliver would have just kept his mouth shut. “So what have you two ladies been up to?” He asked as he slipped his hands into his pockets trying to steer the conversation away from what Oliver had said.

Chloe looked away from Tess and at Hal while shrugging. “Doing some research.”

"Actually, I was just on my way out," Tess replied, her tone clipped. She should have known that Hal wouldn't be able to resist a roomful of women. Whatever; it wasn't her problem. "Chloe, just let me know when the research is done. Enjoy your night, Hal," she added as she moved past him without a second look. She made it into the hallway and nearly collided with Oliver.

"Careful," Oliver teased, sending a smile in her direction as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. "Next time, you should come out with us. All work and no play is dull, Mercy." He winked at her and then made his way back into the main room, leaving Tess gaping at the back of his head.

Hal tried to hide the frown on his face at Tess’s quick departure. “I think I’m going to head out too, have a good night Chloe,” he turned and headed for the door right as Oliver walked back inside. “I’ll see you later Oliver,” Hal sent his friend a stern look before passing him to get in the hallway.

Chloe arched an eyebrow at Oliver, “What was that all about?” She asked as she once again set down her wine glass.

Oliver shrugged. "Hell if I know. Hal usually likes to brag about how many numbers he can collect in a night. Three's not bad, especially when I'm there too," he added arrogantly. Oliver moved further into the room, his eyes landing on the computer console. "What are you working on?" he asked.

Chloe frowned at his words and then glanced at the screen. “I’m trying to match the faces in Bart’s surveillance photos to a name. They are two of the guys working with the people who put together the underground fighting ring.” She said lightly.

"That sounds like something that can wait a few minutes." Oliver took her hand and tugged her toward the couch. "We need to talk."

Chloe let him tug her to the couch, her brows creasing together as she sat down. Since when could finding the bad guys wait? “What’s going on?” She asked while waiting for him to sit beside her unsure what exactly he wanted to talk about.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Oliver replied. "Chloe, it feels like you've been treating me with kid gloves since I came back and I need you to stop." Oliver had never been a beat around the bush kind of guy and Chloe was the type who appreciated that so he didn't feel the need to sugarcoat anything.

Chloe pursed her lips trying to find the right way to respond. “You’re right, I have.” She admitted as she shifted and crossed her legs angling her body in his direction. “I’m worried about you Oliver and I know,” she held up her hands before he could say anything, “You’re fine, but you’ve only been back a week, plus we don’t have any really big missions yet, I’m working on getting the information we need for the next one now.” She said, which was mostly true.

"And I might believe you if I didn't know you so well," Oliver countered, "Come on Chloe." He could tell she still wasn't giving him the whole story. "I know it's been five months, but you used to tell me every detail of what was going on. I'm not Clark," he reminded her. "The little stuff matters to me." Their friend had a tendency to only want to be informed when it was time to act; planning wasn't his thing.

Chloe hesitated. His words seemed sincere and maybe if she told him what she was thinking he could put some of her fears aside. “I’m just a little confused,” she caught his gaze and continued talking, “Your story about what happened just doesn’t make sense. You used to tell me everything too,” she pointed out. “And now you won’t tell me anything. I just wish you’d open up and then maybe I’d be less worried.”

Oliver watched her for a moment before he spoke. "What do you want to know?" he asked. Oliver's hands went to his shirt, quickly undoing the buttons as he ignored her confused gaze. He slipped it off, letting her see the bruises and cuts on his skin. Some had healed, but others had been infected and the marks hadn't faded yet. "Do you really want a play by play of where all of these came from? I can give you that, but I doubt it'll make you feel better."

Chloe’s eyes widened and guilt filled her chest as she reached out and gingerly brushed her fingers against his skin. Guilt built in her chest and she had to fight to keep her emotions in control. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t find you,” she whispered. “I tried, I did.” Chloe pulled her hand back and looked down. “I’m sorry that I keep pushing. I just wanted you to know I was here if you need me.” Chloe should have realized Oliver was trying to work through things on his own.

"I know that. I've always known that," Oliver assured her. He shifted closer to her on the couch and reached out, cupping her cheek in his palm. "You have nothing to feel guilty about. I know you guys worked night and day to find me. I'm here now. Nothing else matters," he insisted.

Chloe swallowed hard, his hand warm against her cheek. She held his gaze and nodded, “You’re right,” she said softly. “Nothing else matters.” She agreed before smiling. “I’m glad you’re back Oliver.” Maybe she’d been reading too much into things after all.

Oliver returned her smile. "It's good to be back." He held her gaze for a moment and then dropped his hand from her face so he could fix her shirt. "Now, do you want to tell me what's really going on around here?" he asked.

Chloe chuckled. “Honestly there isn’t much going on until I ID these people.” She told him as she pushed herself off the couch and stood. “If you think you’re ready to head out on patrol it’s not too late for tonight, but as far as missions go, I have the team focusing on the fighting ring first.” She explained.

"Okay," Oliver said. He got up as well, following her toward the computer. "I need to let some of these bruises heal more or I'll be a liability out there. But in the meantime, just let me know if there's anything else you need."

Chloe sent him a sideways glance and grinned, “Will do Hero,” she turned back to the computer and watched as the faces sped by on the screen. “You don’t have to stick around if you want to go back out, I’ve got things covered here.

"I actually do have a few things to take care of," Oliver said. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "It's good to be back, Sidekick. I'll call you tomorrow," he added before he turned and headed for the double doors.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Chloe called out as she watched him go the feel of his lips still lingering slightly against her temple. She turned back to face the computer wondering when Oliver had gotten so affectionate and when she had stopped resisting the small touches. Chloe shook the thought away; it had been a long five months for both of them. Chloe was just glad to have her best friend back.


	3. Chapter 3

Oliver smiled to himself as he watched the two guards fall to the floor, the gas from the arrow he'd fired into the wall above their heads taking effect. He motioned for Victor to move in first and then he followed him down the stairs to the basement of the warehouse. Bart had scouted the location of the fight club for three days until Chloe had been satisfied that they had the schedule down. Every night between two and five, the place was empty.

 

They reached the hallway and Oliver gave Victor the signal to wait as he pushed the button in his ear. "Green Arrow to Watchtower, Cyborg and I are in place. What is Impulse's location?" he asked.

 

Chloe’s fingers moved quickly over the keys for a minute as she input a few codes before shifting over to the touch screen on desktop. She ran her finger across the screen and a few seconds later several dots popped up signaling where each member of the team was inside the warehouse. “Impulse is rounding the corner now he should be in position in less than a minute, two floors below you.” She said as spotted Oliver and Victor’s dots.

 

“He’s planting himself there as a lookout. The room in you need to go in is fifteen feet in front of you and to the left.”

 

"Got it," Oliver replied. He turned off the com and glanced at Victor. "Watchtower needs you to go back up to the main level. There's some suspicious activity near the west entrance. It might be a guard we missed or it might be nothing." He held out his hand. "I'll take the drive."

 

Victor raised an eyebrow, even as he pulled the thumb drive out and handed it to Oliver. "Last time I checked, I was the computer expert." But he did what Oliver asked and headed back toward the stairs. Oliver watched him go and then reactivated his com as he moved down to the next level. "Impulse, how are things looking?"

 

Bart zipped up and down the hallway checking all the emergency exits, the stairwells, and the windows. He paused at the end of the hall, glanced out the window and pressed him com. “Everything is lookin’ good Arrow. I’ll stand by just in case.” He said, his gaze flickering to the other window as he made sure there weren’t any surprises.

 

"Copy that," Oliver replied. Once again, he disconnected his com and reached for his phone. He sent a quick text and then made his way into the office. It didn't take long to attach the drive to the computer. While he waited for it to upload, he looked around the room, searching for any other relevant information. Less than five minutes passed before a loud noise sounded from above.

 

"Impulse!" Victor's sharp voice came over the com. He coughed loudly as he dropped to the floor, avoiding the smoke that was pouring through the door. "Someone blew the door from the outside. Get up here," he called.

 

Bart frowned, “What?” He whispered before taking off and speed up the steps to where Victor was the closer he got the more he smelled the smoke. Bart reached out and slammed through the doors spotting Victor at the far end of the hallway near the explosion. He sped over to his friend fast and ran around him in fast circles making the smoke dissipate before he held out a hand, “Let’s go, it’s time to get the hell out of here.”

 

Bart pressed the com on his ear, “What’s going on Mamacita?” Despite the teasing nickname, the strain in his voice was clear, “I don’t see anyone out there and where’s the source of the explosion?”

 

Chloe was once again back at the main console as her fingers slid across the keys with expertise. “I don’t know, give me a minute.” She has seen the heat signature explode not far from Victor’s dot and was doing her best to get some video footage of the facility so she could direct them to the trouble.

 

Chloe brought up the screen and frowned, “It came from inside the room, but I can’t get a read on any actual people in the room. According to this no one is there.” Chloe switched over to Oliver’s com. “Arrow, you need to get out of there. Rendezvous with the guys on the bottom level of the warehouse…can you hear me?”

 

Oliver heard her, but he didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed the drive from the computer and took a separate device from his utility belt. He ran the device over the drive and then did it again for good measure. Oliver tossed the device in the trash can, pocketed the drive and ran for the stairs, finally answering Chloe. "Copy that, Watchtower, I'm on my way out now."

 

Chloe nodded to herself and then pushed the button again. “Arrow is on his way down, meet up on the bottom level. I’m sending the way out to Arrow now,” she said as she sent the alternate route to leave the building so none of them got caught. A red alert box popped up on the screen and she swore. “A cars been dispatched from Metropolis PD to check out the explosion. ETA, less than ten minutes, make sure you’re quick about it.” She said still not sure who or what had caused the explosion in the first place.

 

"We'll be fine," Oliver assured her. He made it to the main floor and spotted Victor and Bart. "Are you gentlemen ready to get out of here?" He didn't wait for an answer before moving toward the south door, the one that led out onto the docks. He figured that would be the easiest way to avoid the cops.

 

"Yeah, but what the hell happened?" Victor demanded as he followed Oliver toward the door. "That explosion came out of nowhere and there was no one behind it. Do you think they knew we were coming?" he asked.

 

"No idea," Oliver replied. He opened the door and waited for Victor and Bart to go outside before he followed them, pulling it shut behind him. "Watchtower did a security sweep and she put all the camera feeds on a loop so no one is going to trace this back to us. Besides, we got what we came for." He patted his belt where he'd stored the drive. "Watchtower, are we clear?" he asked.

 

Chloe inclined her head even though they couldn’t see her. “Yes, you’re good to go; I hacked into the traffic grid and bought you guys a little more time. Come on home, boys.” she said as she moved back to the left side of the console trying to get a better look at the security footage.

 

Oliver switched off his com. "You guys should go back to Watchtower." He handed Victor the thumb drive. "I'm going to see if I can track down whoever or whatever it was that set off that alarm. Tell Chloe I'll check in later," he added. Without giving either of them a chance to respond, Oliver grabbed his crossbow, fired an arrow to a nearby roof and let the zipline carry him skyward.

 

Victor rolled his eyes at Oliver's dramatic exit. "You're the boss," he muttered before turning back to Bart. "Let's go." The mission had felt like one giant close call. He was more than ready to give Chloe the information and call it a night.

 

______

 

Chloe frowned as she stared at the screen in front of her, frustration and confusion clear on her face. Victor and Bart had stopped by thirty minutes ago to drop off the thumb drive and check in. They hadn’t stayed long, but before leaving they told her Oliver would check in later. While it was odd of him to take off at the end of a mission, that currently was not her biggest problem.

 

The thumb drive Victor had given her was corrupt. She’d been trying for a while to restore the data, but at this point she had to admit defeat. There was no way to get the information off the file. Chloe sighed as she stared at the error log on the computer. It was clear the drive had been tampered with, but that didn’t make any sense.

 

Chloe let out another frustrated noise and decided to give it one more try, her fingers once again going to town on the keyboard as she tried to retrieve the information from the drive.

 

Oliver walked into the room just in time to hear the frustrated noise that she'd let out. "Rough night?" he asked as he moved further into the room. After leaving the guys and running a quick errand, Oliver had gone back to the penthouse and changed into jeans and a t-shirt. He'd figured there was no point in patrolling when the police presence would be higher than usual after the potential bombing.

 

“The thumb drive is corrupt and I can’t get the information off of it,” she said not bothering to beat around the bush as she exited out of the small black screen, disconnected the drive and pulled it out. Chloe tossed it on the computer console and turned to face Oliver, “What happened between the warehouse and here?” She asked as she leaned back her arms resting over her chest. “Are you sure no one else touched the drive?” Chloe asked trying to figure out what was going on.

 

"I gave it to Victor and I doubt he did anything risky with it. The man is made of computer parts. He knows how they work," Oliver pointed out. "Other than that, no one touched the drive. Maybe it had a bug in it or something or the files were encrypted to destroy themselves."

 

Chloe’s brows furrowed. “Maybe,” she said though she wasn’t entirely sure that was true. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe Oliver, because she did, but Chloe was pretty sure the drive itself had been tampered with. “Either way, we’re back at square one, we’ve got nothing to go on,” she told him as she glanced at Oliver.

 

"We'll figure it out," Oliver told her. "We always do. We found the club, right? And Vic tracked down a few of the guys' identities. We'll just come up with a plan b and everything will work out. You worry too much, Sidekick. It's probably all the poison you put in your system." His gaze drifted to her coffee mug before he met hers once more.

 

Chloe squinted her eyes at Oliver. “Do not say mean things about my coffee,” she warned as she pointed to him. He didn’t seem worried about the information and that concerned her, but there wasn’t anything Chloe could do at the moment. She would have Victor take a look at the drive tomorrow and see if her theory was correct, until then Oliver was right.

 

Oliver grinned. "It's not my fault you choose to put that stuff in your body. It's really not good for you. And neither is working all the time," he added. "It's late and everyone else has gone home so why are you still here?" he asked.

 

His question was valid, but Chloe just shrugged. “This is my job,” she said lightly, “Besides someone has to be here watching over things.” She rested her hands behind her against the console. “I think the better question is what are you doing here?” She joked.

 

"I am here to watch over you," Oliver replied. He took a step closer to her, resting his hands on the console next to hers. "You spent months working yourself to death because you were worried about me, but I'm back now and there's no need for you to spend all your time here. There are other things we could be doing right now."

 

Chloe swallowed heavily, his words warming her heart. She hadn’t realized just how much she missed him until he was gone. Somehow Chloe had gotten closer to Oliver than she was with anyone else and when he was gone, it almost felt like she’d lost a person of the person she’d become.

 

Chloe pushed the thoughts aside and took in a deep breath his proximity making her stomach flutter thought she wasn’t quite sure why. Chloe angled her head to the side, amusement glittering in her eyes. "You're here to watch over me?" she asked when she finally found her voice. "What are you, my knight in shining leather?" Chloe teased with a playful smile. "Tell me Hero, what is more important than getting the bad guys?"

 

"I could be," Oliver told her before leaning in closer and speaking directly into her ear, "Except I'm not wearing the leather at the moment. But we'll keep that description in mind for a later date." He shifted again so he could meet her gaze. "We both know there's nothing more important than catching bad guys, but that doesn’t mean we can't take a break every once in awhile." He moved his hand closer to hers on the counter, brushing his thumb against hers. "What do you say we get out of here?"

 

Chloe's breathing hitched slightly, her ear and neck still warm from where his breath hit it. His thumb brushing against her skin sent waves of warmth up Chloe's arm and confusion at her reaction to his closeness made her swallow heavily. She met his gaze and focused on his words. "Where do you want to go?" She asked softly as an unfamiliar feeling filled her stomach.

 

Oliver let his thumb slide along her wrist and felt her pulse jump as he did it again. "I was thinking we could go back to my place. Maybe have some wine or watch a movie. When was the last time you relaxed?" he asked.

 

Chloe was getting distracted by the movement of Oliver's thumb sliding against her skin. She felt her heart jump in her chest and Chloe could swear she felt Oliver's body heat. His slightly call used finger caressed her skin again and it was then that she realized she hadn't answered his question yet.

 

"I...I'm not sure. Things have been busy and it's not like crime sleeps, plus we were looking for you and there are always things," she babbled while trying to figure out why she felt so warm. What the hell was going on with her? Since when did spending time with Oliver evoke the need for some cool down time?

 

"Things," Oliver repeated, amused. He wasn't used to seeing her flustered, but it was a good look for her. "The way I see it, there are no 'things' at the moment to justify you staying here any longer. So come home with me," he said.

 

Chloe cleared her throat, "Come home with you?" she repeated before shaking her head. "I probably shouldn't. It's late and I'm sure you've got stuff to do," she said not using 'things' again since Oliver insisted there were no things. "Plus I've got a long drive back to Smallville and it's probably not good to drive back that late you know?" She asked as she bit her lower lip.

 

"Where's your sense of adventure?" Oliver asked. But he backed off, taking a step back so that he was no longer in her personal space. "Maybe another night then." He didn't bother to call her out on her weak excuses; Oliver had no doubt that she knew she was practically stammering.

 

Chloe grinned, "I work with a bunch of superheroes, that is my sense of adventure," she teased with a soft laugh. Chloe watched Oliver for a minute, her head tilting to the side. "There's something different about you." She commented as she kept her eyes on him.

 

"Maybe," Oliver admitted. He reached out and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "Or maybe I'm finally seeing things clearly. Now, how about I walk you to your car?" he offered.

 

Chloe smiled, not exactly sure what he meant by that, but figuring it probably wasn't that important. "Worried about my safety?" she teased, her expression warm. "Just let me grab my bag and set the computers so there in mobile mode." she said lightly.

 

"What kind of hero would I be if I wasn't?" Oliver replied. "Take your time," he added as his phone buzzed in his pocket. Oliver pulled it out, quickly responded to the text message while he waited for Chloe to finish her tasks.

 

Chloe grabbed her bag after switching the system to mobile mode and then glanced around the room making sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Chloe walked over to Oliver as he was sliding his phone back into his pocket. "I'm good to go," she said with a small grin.

 

"Good." Oliver draped his arm across her shoulders as they walked toward the door. "Tomorrow is another day and the bad guys will still be here then. In the meantime, you need to worry about you for a change."

 

Chloe walked with him relaxing beneath his arm as she sent him a sideways glance. "I'm fine you know," she said as the paused in front of the elevator. Chloe reached out and pushed the button. "You don't need to worry so much about me." Even as she said the words though, Chloe was incredibly glad he did care. That was something else she had missed, not that she would admit it if asked.

 

Oliver simply raised an eyebrow. "I'll stop worrying about you the day you stop worrying about me." He leaned into her again, speaking directly against her ear. "We both know that's never going to happen. We stick together, Chloe. It's who we are. Stop fighting it so much."

 

Chloe rested a hand against his arm the feel of his warm breath making a slight shiver slide down her spine. Chloe moistened her throat before speaking. "I don't fight you," she finally said her voice soft, a hint of humor in her eyes as she lifted her gaze to meet his.

 

"Yes, you do," Oliver replied simply. The elevator doors opened and he led her inside, pressing the button for the underground garage before he continued. "But I don't think you want to as much as you try to convince yourself that you should want to," he added.

 

Chloe chuckled at the certainty in his voice, "Is that so?" She asked, eyebrow raised. "So you know all my deep dark secrets, wants, and needs?" she teased even as she shook her head. Chloe shifted her bag further up her shoulder as she leaned back against the elevator. "You're awfully sure of yourself."

 

Oliver smirked. "I'm always sure of myself. It's one of the many things you like about me, even if you pretend it's not. And yes, to answer your question, I do know you; better than you know yourself. But you'll get there eventually." She was so stubborn, but he could already see some cracks in the facade she used to keep people out.

 

Chloe wasn't even sure how to respond to his words. But she could feel the slightly elevated speed of her heart and Chloe knew some of his words might just be true. But she ignored the thought and returned his smirk.

 

"Well it's good to know that the five months you spent away from me haven't done anything to tamper that ego of yours," she quipped as the elevator chimed and the doors slid open.

 

Oliver laughed. "Noted," he said as they walked out of the elevator toward Chloe's car. "So just let me know if you find any answers or new leads. I have a bunch of meetings tomorrow, but I don't mind an excuse to get out of them. Or if you just miss having me around," he said, still smirking.

 

Chloe pulled her keys out and paused by the driver’s side of her car turning to grin at Oliver. "You know I'm starting to think you're the one who missed me." She joked as she met his gaze. "I'll let you know if I find anything out, thanks for walking me to my car." She said with a genuine smile.

 

"Of course I missed you," Oliver replied. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek, letting his lips linger against her skin. "Enjoy the rest of your night, Chloe." He winked at her and then crossed the parking garage toward his car.

 

Chloe stood there for a solid minute as realization finally set in. The weird feeling wasn't nervousness. Oliver was her best friend. It was something else entirely. Chloe was attracted to him. "Oh crap," she mumbled to herself before quickly turning and opening her car door.

 

She obviously needed to go home and sleep because there was no way she could be attracted to Oliver. Nope, it wasn't happening she thought taking comfort in the obvious lie as she started the car and pulled out of her spot heading back to Smallville.

 

______

 

Oliver stood on the rooftop, watching the scene below him unfold. Two vans and two town cars had driven to an empty parking lot and at least fifteen men had gotten out. Only two were talking, eyeing each other warily, as their random associates stood behind them. He didn't need x-ray vision to know all of them were heavily armed and ready to act at a moment's notice.

 

He watched as each man handed the other a briefcase. Oliver used his glasses to zero in on the open case. One was filled with guns and he assumed the other was filled with money. The two men seemed to be satisfied with the exchange. The one with the money moved toward his town car, his men following behind. Oliver watched as the other men started toward their car as well and that was when he saw a familiar blur move onto the scene.

 

"Goddamnit, Clark," Oliver muttered. He sighed and quickly lowered himself off the rooftop, remaining in the shadows to make sure that he didn't get hit by any stray bullets. He knew Clark would subdue everyone and then he could make his move.

 

Clark knocked the man with the briefcase down and the second he hit the floor gunfire erupted around him. He should his head not understanding why that was everyone's go to in order to solve problems. Then again these guys were criminals. Clark pushed the thought aside and grabbed the guy closest to him yanking back on the gun, disarming him and crushing the metal in his hands.

 

The man's eyes widened and he turned to run leaving Clark to take care of the next guy shooting at him. He rushed between the car and five minutes later he was zip tying the last guy there. He tapped his ear, he hated wearing the com, but Chloe had insisted. "I got them all. They are zip tied by the car do you need the location?" Clark asked.

 

Chloe sighed as she watched his dot on the screen. "No Boy scout I sent you there remember?" She inquired before typing on the computer. "I just sent the tip in; you should probably head out now. Thanks for taking care of that for me."

 

Clark nodded, "Sure thing Chloe." He pushed the button to shut off the com glanced around one more time seeing that most of them were still unconscious before speeding off into the night.

 

As soon as Clark sped out of sight, Oliver moved into the area, heading for the man who had the briefcase of guns beside him. "You should really be more careful," he commented as he used a knife to undo the zip ties. "You guys should have been clear of this already."

 

The man rolled his eyes. "You should have stepped in faster. What about my guys?" he asked.

 

"Not my problem. You can stay and untie them or you can take this where it needs to go." Oliver shoved the briefcase at him as the sound of sirens neared. "Your choice," he added before he turned and ran down the nearest alley, disappearing from sight.

 

______

 

Chloe sat on her couch in a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top, a frown pulling at her features as she read through the police report on her computer. It had been two days since Clark took down the group of arm dealers and yet both the main guy and his weapons managed to get away. A lot of the guys had other prior and we're booked, but a few of them were let go and that infuriated her.

 

Chloe still wasn't sure how he'd gotten away and it was driving her crazy. The whole reason she asked Clark to take down the guys and not the team was because there were no cameras near the meeting place and Chloe knew she could send Clark in and not worry. But once again it was all for nothing.

 

Chloe huffed, shut her laptop and lifted her glass of wine from the coffee table. She was stressed out and tired. She needed to relax a little bit so Chloe took a sip of her wine and rested back against, while soft music played in the background.

 

Chloe let her eyes drift over to the fireplace where a fire was burning and forced herself to take a deep breath. No time like the present to try and relax.

 

Oliver passed through the coffeehouse, ignoring the stares he got from the three people who were actually sitting in there. He was surprised it was that crowded, considering the late hour and the fact that nothing ever happened in Smallville. He jogged up the stairs and didn't bother to knock, trying the doorknob first, which was unlocked. He shook his head and let himself inside.

 

He spotted Chloe on the couch and smiled to himself when he realized she hadn't heard him come in. Oliver closed the door quietly at his back and then cleared his throat. "You know, you of all people should know better than to leave your door unlocked."

 

Chloe jumped, her eyes popping open at the sound of Oliver's voice. Her free hand flew up to her chest the momentary fear that had built there dissipating though her heart still beat frantically in her chest. "Jeez, give a girl a heart attack," she paused, her eyebrow arching in his direction.

 

"What are you doing here?" she asked while putting her glass down and standing up. "And have you ever heard of knocking? What would have happened if I was indisposed?" There was humor in Chloe’s voice as she closed some of the distance between them.

 

"Well then my night would have been off to a really good start," Oliver replied. He smiled at her, even as his eyes traveled over her attire, which was a lot less clothes than he was used to seeing her in. "And I suppose I could have knocked, but that might have taken away the surprise."

 

Chloe felt her cheeks warm and she chuckled softly not missing the way his eyes roamed over her body. Oh yes, there was definitely something different about him. "You're terrible." She said shoving him gently with her shoulder as she walked past him. "Why exactly are we surprising me?" She asked as she motioned to the bottle of wine. "Would you like some?"

 

"Sure," Oliver replied. He shrugged off his jacket and tossed it over the back of a chair. "I stopped by Watchtower and you weren't there so I figured I'd come out here and make sure everything was okay. I hope I'm not intruding on your relaxing evening."

 

Chloe eyed him with a grin briefly before turning back to the wine she was pouring for him. "You are," she said matter-of-factly as she slid the cork back into the wine and turned to face him, extending her hand offering him the wine. "But since I kind of like you I'll give you a pass just this once." She joked.

 

"You're too good to me," Oliver replied. He took a sip of wine and moved closer to the fireplace, appreciating the warmth. "It's been awhile since I've been out this way. I almost forgot how deserted it is."

 

Chloe nodded as she sat back down and reached for her wine again. "It has been a while." she commented and took a sip from her glass. "I think I like that there aren't a lot of people around. It's more relaxing that way," she added before glancing at him again. "So what brought you out here really?" she asked. Chloe was pretty sure Oliver had never come to Smallville to see her before. They mostly spent their time together at Watchtower or diner's near Watchtower.

 

"I came to see you," Oliver replied. "Is that really so hard to believe?" He arched an eyebrow as he took a sip of his wine. He'd been surprised to find Watchtower empty and after checking with Lois, he'd found out that Chloe had headed back to Smallville, which seemed a little strange.

 

Chloe studied Oliver for a minute before smiling and shaking her head. "No, it's not hard to believe it's just a long ride," she told him her smile widening slightly as she patted the seat next to her. "Well come sit, stay awhile." She joked before taking another sip of wine.

 

"I don't mind the drive," Oliver said. He took a seat beside her on the couch, not leaving much room between them, his leg brushing against hers. "Besides seeing Chloe Sullivan relaxing is the kind of thing that should probably be documented since it happens so rarely." He reached out and playfully tugged on one of her curls.

 

Chloe rolled her eyes playfully as she unconsciously angled her body in his direction. The feel of his leg making warmth appear in that very spot. "Very cute. I'll have you know I relax all the time. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it's not happening." She said pointedly before smiling.

 

"I am very cute. Thank you for noticing," Oliver teased. He took another sip of his wine and then set the glass down on the table, more of his body brushing against hers with the movement. "So tell me more about this secret side of you that you claim I don't know."

 

Chloe felt her heart jump as he got closer to her. She had to swallow hard to moisten her throat because at the moment it felt completely dry. Oliver was so close Chloe could smell his cologne and feel the heat pouring from his body.

 

She dragged her gaze up to his face. "If I told you about them, they wouldn't be a secret," she teased, "Besides you know me so well, tell me what do I want and need," she added while bringing the glass to her lips and taking a healthy sip.

 

"Okay," Oliver agreed. He draped his arm across the back of the couch, his fingertips brushing against her neck gently. "You _need_ to ignore that little voice in your head that's listing all the things you should be doing. You _want_ to, but there's a part of you that's scared; a part of you that fears the fall that could come with taking a risk. You should definitely ignore that voice."

 

Oliver's words were hitting a lot closer to home than Chloe thought they would. The light touch of his fingers against her skin had her heart thumping almost erratically in her chest. She held his gaze, the empty glass of wine still clutched in one of her hands.

 

"Bad things happen when people ignore that voice you know." She said her words soft wondering if he was referring to something specific. It felt like he was.

 

"Good things can happen too," Oliver countered. He took the empty glass from her hand and set it on the table before leaning into her once more. "Sometimes, you have to take that leap to get what you want. I guarantee you the end result will be quite satisfying."

 

Chloe's breathing hitched in her throat and she wasn't able to stop the images that his words brought to the forefront of her thoughts. Her body felt flush and she wouldn't be surprised if her face was as red as it felt.

 

But Chloe did her best to keep her voice calm. Oliver was attractive. On some level she'd always thought so, but they worked together and they were friends. So, Chloe had always put him in this friend’s only zone. But something between them seemed like it was changing and Oliver was the one changing it. Chloe watched him for a minute enjoying their closeness. "I have a strange feeling that you know exactly what you want." Chloe said softly.

 

"Let's just say that being gone for five months made me realize where my priorities are and where they should be," Oliver said. He noticed her face was flush and he wondered what was going on in her head. He had a pretty good idea.

 

Oliver placed his hand on her thigh, just beneath the hem of the shorts that she wore and smiled when she jumped. "Relax," he whispered as his fingers teased the hem. "I think we both know what we want."

 

Chloe had to remind herself to breath as Oliver's had continued playing with the hem of her shorts. It had been a long time since anyone had shown a romantic interest in her and even longer since she'd been this close to someone. And Chloe had no idea what to do.

 

"Do we?" She asked softly trying to keep the breathlessness out of her voice, "Because I think you're making some pretty big assumptions there Hero." Chloe wasn't sure how her voice sounded so steady because she certainly didn't feel steady. Her body felt alive and warm and while Chloe was hoping it was the wine making her feel the way she knew it probably wasn't.

 

Oliver sighed dramatically. "Do you really want to waste time playing this game? I mean, I've got all night, but don't you think there are better things we could be doing then holding off the inevitable?" He leaned in and let his lips graze her ear. "Tell me this isn't what you want and I'll leave," he challenged.

 

Chloe's body shivered when his breath hit her ear and she briefly wondered what happened to her not being affected by the Queen charm. "I," she all but stuttered as she tried to find her voice. She felt incredibly blindsided by all of this. She was also curious and definitely attracted to Oliver, then again who wouldn't be?

 

"I don't know," she said finally. "Don't you think this is rushing things a little? Jumping the gun or something?" The words came out of Chloe's mouth in a jumble because she was desperately trying to get her composure back. She wasn't used to feeling so flustered and out of control.

 

"That's the point," Oliver replied. "Life is short and we're not guaranteed anything. Why should we hold back or question anything? Where does that get us?" But he pulled his hand back from her leg since she looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

 

The second the heat from his hand on her leg was gone, she missed it. Chloe sunk her teeth into her bottom lip as she watched him silently for a minute. "You can have anyone," she commented, "Why risk our friendship?"

 

Chloe asked not able to help her curiosity. Maybe this was what had changed since he got back and why she felt like things were off. Oliver was sending out all kinds of vibes and none of them seemed friendship-like.

 

"Why are you so sure it's a risk?" Oliver countered. He could see the uncertainty in her eyes and he reached out, placing his hand over hers. "I don't want anyone else. I want you and even though you're fighting it, I think you want me too."

 

Chloe glanced down at his hand over hers a spark going through her body at the simple touch. "And if I did?" She asked not entirely sure what he wanted from her.

 

"Then I don't see what the problem is," Oliver replied. He lifted his hand to her cheek, brushing his thumb beneath her chin as his gaze fell to her lips before meeting hers once more.

 

Chloe's heart was pounding against her chest as she did her best to control her actions. Oliver was right, she wanted him, but she couldn't just throw caution to the wind...could she? "Ollie," She whispered his name softly not sure what else to say.

 

"Shh," Oliver whispered. "Stop thinking so hard and just go with it." He closed the distance between them and covered her mouth with his. He kept the kiss light, giving her a chance to pull away, but when she didn't, he moved his lips over hers again as he slid his hand into her hair.

 

Chloe found herself moving closer to him as she opened her mouth beneath his letting him deepen the kiss. His lips were soft against hers, warm and demanding. Chloe let her hand slide up his arm before she cupped his cheek, her eyes sliding shut as she gave herself over to the kiss, taking Oliver’s advice to heart and going with it.

 

When she responded to the kiss, Oliver didn't hesitate to deepen it. He kissed her until air started to become an issue and even then he didn't pull back until his lungs were burning. Oliver broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers as he sucked in a sharp breath. "Still think this is a bad idea?" he asked.

 

“No,” Chloe flushed, “I mean yes,” she said before laughing softly. “Maybe,” she softened as she brushed her thumb against his cheek. “I’m attracted to you,” she admitted softly not believing she was actually telling him that, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.

 

Oliver laughed. "At least that clears things up," he teased. Oliver pressed another kiss to her lips. "I'm attracted to you too, in case you haven't picked up on it." He kissed her again, drawing it out slowly before breaking the kiss.

 

“You are?” Chloe asked straight faced, “I couldn’t tell,” She told him before breaking out into small grin. “So, is this why you drove two hours to Smallville?” She inquired, her head tilting to the side, humor sparkling in her eyes.

 

"Why is it so hard for you to believe that I came here just to see you?" Oliver asked. "I don't have any ulterior motives or agendas. I wanted to see you so I came to see you. It's really not complicated at all."

 

“I didn’t mean,” Chloe paused and rested her hand over his. “I was teasing,” she told him softly as she brushed her thumb over his hand. Chloe glanced at the fire and then back at Oliver, “Would you like to stay for a bit? Maybe watch a movie?” She asked lightly.

 

"Okay," Oliver agreed. "Why don't you pick one out and I'll get us some more wine. You seemed to drink yours awfully fast." He winked at her and then got up, grabbing their glasses from the table and moving toward the kitchen where she'd left the bottle.

 

Chloe chuckled lightly and shook her head as she grabbed the remote from the coffee table. Oliver was definitely something. She didn’t exactly know where this whole thing was going, but Chloe was willing to give it a try.


	4. Chapter 4

Oliver frowned as he reread the same paragraph for the fourth time. For some reason, the information was not sticking in his head and it was taking forever to get through the work. Oliver turned his chair around to face the window. It was a cloudy day, another sign that winter was on the horizon. But the view was still better than the reading he was supposed to be doing. Oliver closed his eyes for a moment and thought about Chloe, wondering what she was doing. He hadn't seen her since he'd stopped by her apartment the other night, but things had gone better than he'd hoped.

 

A slow smile crossed his face. Oliver had expected Chloe to have doubts; that was just who she was. But he was happy he'd been able to get through to her, even though he knew they weren't quite out of the woods yet. Distracted by his thoughts, Oliver missed the sound of the door opening behind him.

 

Chloe stood in the doorway to Oliver's office, not saying a word as she watched him looking out the window. Her chest tightened at the image he made and she pressed her free hand against her stomach. Pain radiated in her chest as she stared at him.

 

Chloe clutched a folder in her other hand, her knuckles white with the force of her grip. She wanted the information inside of it to be wrong. She wanted Oliver to tell her there was some other explanation, but deep down inside she knew. Chloe knew this was what she'd been sensing, their weird feeling in the pit of her stomach.

 

Chloe straightened up and walked into the office closing it behind her non to gently, so Oliver would know someone was there. She strode across the office and before he could even say anything she slammed the folder down on his desk, palm face down on top of it. "Can you explain this?" She asked her tone clipped as she pushed all her hurt aside and focused on the anger.

 

Oliver turned his chair around, raising an eyebrow at the look on her face. "Hey Chloe, it's nice to see you too," he said as he gently moved her hand out of the way and took the folder to see what had her so angry.

 

Inside, he found some computer printouts and Oliver read through them, trying to figure out what the problem was. He saw his cell phone records and a text message highlighted. Oliver glanced at the date and realized what it was. "What do you want to know?" he asked, looking up from the folder to meet Chloe's gaze.

 

"You sabotaged this mission," she stated not bothering to pose it as a question, she had the proof right on front of her. "Why would you do that? Victor was right there! He could have been hurt or worse." Chloe's brows drew together, "What were you thinking?" she asked her voice angry.

 

"I knew exactly where Victor was and I knew the blast wouldn't put a scratch on him, which it didn't." Oliver sent her a look like it was ridiculous that she was questioning him about that. "And that information was too valuable to get out so I made sure it didn't happen." He shrugged.

 

Chloe looked at Oliver like he was crazy, "Are you kidding me right now? We needed that information! I have been busting my ass to take these guys down and," Chloe's words abruptly cut off and she pressed both her palms, on his desk and leaned forward. "You helped one of the guys Clark tied up for the police get away...didn't you?" She asked her voice quiet.

 

"I couldn't let him get arrested," Oliver replied. "It would have been too much of a hassle to get him out so I just waited for Clark to leave and let him go."

 

Chloe stared at Oliver for a solid minute before lifting her hands from his desk and taking a step back while swallowing hard. This was not her Oliver. She had no idea what happened to him while he was gone, but she should have stuck with her instincts.

 

The bad feeling in the pit of her stomach was back and her gaze shifted toward the office door briefly. "Since when do you help criminals? Our job is to put them behind bars not do their dirty work for them." She said, her tone hard.

 

"What's the point?" Oliver asked. "Honestly, we've been doing this for most of our lives and where has it gotten us? There's always a new criminal around the corner; someone else waiting to hurt us or other innocent people. Maybe it's time to stop fighting it and just let the world do what it wants."

 

A look of horror crossed Chloe's face and she took another step back. "I don't know what happened to you while you were gone, but this," she motioned to him sitting at his desk, "This isn't you." Chloe wasn't even going to think about the other night and how she let him kiss her. How she'd kissed him back and felt something absolutely amazing. No, this wasn't about her. Chloe needed to warn the team.

 

"I think you're overreacting," Oliver replied. He paused, considered it. "Okay, maybe that's not fair. This is new to you and I've had a long time to think about it. But I'm right about this. Since you're here, do you want to grab a late lunch?" he asked.

 

Chloe was baffled. She had no idea how he could think she'd be okay, with going anywhere with him. "No Oliver, we're not getting lunch. I'm leaving." She told him matter-of-factly. Chloe needed to call an emergency team meeting and she needed to call Tess and Hal.

 

"Okay," Oliver agreed. "I really should finish this proposal. But I'll call you later," he offered, sending a smile in her direction before he turned his attention back to the work that he'd been neglecting.

 

His comment made Chloe's heart clench. He didn't care. Oliver didn't see how wrong he was or what a mistake he was making. She turned around stiffly and made her way to the door. She needed to tell the team there was a trader among them. Chloe also needed to reprogram all of Oliver's access to Watchtower and yet as she made her way back to the elevator all she could think about was whether or not what Oliver was feeling for her was real or if it was a part of whatever happened to him.

 

______

 

Clark sat on the front of the desk that Lois was sitting at as he stared at the video feed on the computer screen. He had no idea why Chloe called them all there and their blonde friend seemed to be elsewhere at the moment. Clark knew she was in the building but he really wished she'd get on with the meeting since he didn't know when the next call for help was going to come.

 

Clark cleared his throat, "Do either of you know why Chloe called us here?" he asked Tess and Hall through the video feed.

 

Tess shook her head. "All she said was that it was an emergency and we needed to be here so we're here." She glanced at Hal, knowing he was as in the dark as she was. "Maybe she's waiting for Oliver?" she suggested.

 

Chloe stepped into the main room several sheets of papers. "I am not waiting for Oliver." She said her tone quiet, but strong. Chloe paused in the middle of the room and pursed her lips as she glanced between her cousin and Clark and the video feed.

 

"Tess I just sent you an email with a new set of passwords. I want you to reset your system and change them all. Hal, Lois, and Clark I have new security codes for all of you too." She commented.

 

Hal's brows furrowed at Chloe's words and he interrupted her before she could get her next sentence out. "Wait, why are we changing passwords? What's going on Chloe?"

 

Chloe put the papers down on the computer console and swallowed heavily. "It's Oliver...he's been sabotaging the missions. He blew up the warehouse from the other week and erased the information on the thumb drive. He also let one of the people Clark caught, the one with the weapons, go. I don't know what else he's done but," she paused, "He can't be trusted." the words sounded wrong and she hated them, but it was true.

 

"I'm sorry, what?" Lois cried, outraged. "Oliver sabotaged missions. Oliver as in the billionaire who also goes by Green Arrow? That doesn't make any sense." But even as she said the words, the look on her cousin's face confirmed that it was true. Chloe was trying to be strong, but Lois could see that she was upset.

 

Tess frowned as she tried to process what Chloe had just said. "I know Oliver has been acting a little strange, but how did that make the leap to traitor?" she asked.

 

Chloe turned her gaze on Tess her expression hardening at the fact that the other woman was questioning her. "Do you really think I would have called a,meeting to tell you all this if I wasn't positive?" she snapped.

 

Chloe closed her mouth and pursed her lips. "It's bad enough that Victor, AC, and Bart are on a mission and will be out of contact for the next few hours, I don't need everyone here questioning what I'm saying." Chloe knew she was being unfair, but did they think she wanted Oliver to be working against them?

 

"Don't talk to her like that," Hal said his voice hard as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I know Oliver's been acting weird, but he'd never work against us, your Intel could be wrong. It's not impossible." He told her, his voice annoyed, "How do you know you're right?"

 

"Because he admitted it!" She yelled her voice echoing around the room. "I brought the proof to him to give him a chance to explain himself and he didn't even deny it. He told me people were going to do bad things anyway why bother and that I would see things his way eventually. Something is wrong with him and until we figure it out, Oliver needs to be in the dark about everything we do." She said matter -of-factly.

 

"So Oliver is just a criminal now?" Lois asked, confused. Hearing that he'd admitted everything was hard to swallow, but she knew her cousin had been concerned about him since he'd come back.

 

"That explains why they just let him go," Tess said quietly. She glanced at Hal before turning back to the screen. "There was something not right about that part of his story." She hated to say it, but it made sense.

 

Hal stood silently beside Tess and Chloe could see he was angry. She let out a short sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look I'm not saying he's a criminal I'm saying there's something wrong with him and he's working against us." She explained.

 

Chloe glanced around, "I know this isn't ideal and it makes no sense. I'm looking into it but first we need to make sure Oliver can't get any more information to whoever he's working for. That is our priority right now." Chloe knew that's what Oliver would want if he was in his right mind.

 

"Okay," Tess agreed. She glanced at Hal again and she could see that he wasn't taking this well; not that she could blame him. It was hard to imagine that Oliver was siding against them. "What are we going to do about Oliver in the meantime? He might be reporting back to whoever did this to him as we speak."

 

Hal listened to them talking and he spoke before Chloe could. "I want to talk to Oliver. You can lock out the system and do what you need to do, but I'm taking some leave and coming to town for a few days." He said before turning and moving so he was off the screen. He sat in one of the chairs and put his head in his hands. He hated that they'd finally got Oliver back and now he was supposedly one of the bad guys.

 

Chloe watched Hal disappear as she met Tess's gaze. "I don't want this to be happening any more than Hal," she said genuinely not able to hide the pain in her eyes. "I don't know if he's reporting back to people, but I wouldn't put it past him which is why we're locking him out of the system. Without information he has nothing to report back with."

 

Clark sighed. "What are we supposed to do if we run into him?" he didn't like that Oliver was running around helping the bad guys. And he didn't like that that put them all at risk.

 

"I'll talk to Hal," Tess promised. "Call me if you need anything else," she added before she signed off, leaving the video screen blank.

 

"What do you think, Chloe?" Lois asked. She understood why Clark was upset, but he had a point. Were they supposed to act like everything was normal?

 

Chloe walked over to where Lois and Clark were sitting a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "You can talk to him if you want. From what I can tell he doesn't think what he's doing is wrong. As long as you don't tell him anything we're planning you can do what you'd like." She said with a shrug.

 

Now that everyone knew what was going on or mostly everyone, Chloe just wanted to be left alone so she could figure out what the hell happened to Oliver.

 

Clark saw the look on Chloe's face and he reached out and squeezed her arm. "You'll figure this out and if you need anything just call." he said before standing. "I've got to get going there's a fire at the other end of the city." Clark shifted and pressed a light Kiss to Lois's lips. "I love you, i'll see you at home." He said before disappearing in a gust of wind.

 

Chloe turned her focus on Lois and sent her cousin half a smile. "You can head out too if you need to Lo, I think we're okay here."

 

"Liar," Lois replied. Chloe might be able to fool everyone else with her stoic routine, but Lois knew better. "Why don't you tell me what's really going on in that head of yours? Talking might help," she added, knowing Chloe might try to say she didnt' want to talk about it.

 

Chloe was quiet for a minute not bothering to deny Lois's claim. "I knew something was wrong, but I ignored my instincts because I was really happy that we had him back." Chloe turned to face Lois.

 

"I put the team in danger; I put what we do in danger and who knows if he's given up any of our identities." Chloe swallowed hard. "I should have known and now I need to find out what happened and fix it."

 

"This is not your fault," Lois told her sternly. "We were all happy to have Ollie back and none of us wanted to push too hard." She'd had a few conversations with Clark about how it seemed strange that he didn't want to talk about what had happened to him.

 

"My gut tells me that Ollie hasn't given away anyone's secret. If he had, people would have come after the team already," Lois pointed out, "And aside from the things he sabotaged, everything else has been going smoothly, right?"

 

Chloe nodded, "Yeah, everything else has been okay so far, but that doesn't mean it'll stay that way." Chloe leaned against the desk and tilted her head to the side. "I'm worried, but I'm not going to stop until I figure out what happened. And then we'll fix whatever it is,and Oliver will be as good as new." She hoped.

 

"I'm sure he will," Lois replied. She knew Chloe and the rest of the team wouldn't stop until they figured out what was wrong with him and fixed it. "Is there anything I can do in the meantime?" she asked.

 

Chloe smiled and shook her head, "No, but thanks Lo," she pushed away from the desk and gave her cousin a hug. "We'll figure this out and have Oliver back in no time." She said with a lot more confidence than she actually felt.

 

______

 

Oliver let himself in through one of the skylights, using his grapple hook to lower him down to the loft. After trying his codes, the Watchtower elevator had rejected him repeatedly. Oliver had tried Chloe's cell phone, but the calls had repeatedly gone to voicemail. Luckily, he'd had some spare equipment in the back of this car. Oliver unhooked the zipline and tossed his equipment on the desk before heading for the stairs.

 

The main floor was empty, but he spotted Chloe's purse and jacket near the desk. Oliver headed toward the kitchen and found Chloe watching the coffeemaker. "You know it helps if you turn it on," he teased, noting the power button wasn't lit.

 

Chloe tensed at the sound of his voice and whirled around coming face-to-face with Oliver. Her eyes widened as she blinked a few times making sure he was really there. “How the hell did you get in here?” She asked, keeping the anger in her voice. Chloe had been staring at the coffee machine for the past fifteen minutes trying to figure out where to start on the whole Oliver thing and now he’s there.

 

"It wasn't easy since you locked me out and ignored my phone call," Oliver replied. He moved further into the room and reached around her, turning on the coffeemaker. "Should I take that as a sign that I'm not welcome anymore?" he asked before leaning in and pressing a kiss to the side of her neck.

 

Chloe felt her heart jump in her chest as she sucked in a sharp breath at the feel of his lips against her neck. Her eyes fluttered slightly before what he did came crashing back down on her. It took a good deal of will power for her to step back putting some distance between them. “What gave it away?” She quipped as she crossed her arms over her chest.

 

“You shouldn’t be here; I’d like you to go.” She said pointing toward the door as she attempted to walk by him, forgetting about the coffee and doing her best to not let his presence affect her.

 

"So you hate me now?" Oliver asked, unable to keep the hurt out of his voice. "What happened to everything you said about wanting to be with me? Is that over now that you found something you don't like about me?" He couldn't believe Chloe of all people would be so quick to turn her back on him.

 

Chloe’s chest tightened at his words and guilt blossomed in her chest. “I don’t hate you,” she said softly, “I could never hate you.” Her hands clenched as she watched him for a minute before she shifted towards the coffee maker and grabbed a mug needing to keep her hands busy. “Oliver, I can’t be with you if I can’t trust you.” She said quietly, still facing the coffeemaker. Chloe wasn’t sure she had it in her to say that to his face especially since Oliver had always been the person she trusted most.

 

"I've never lied to you," Oliver reminded her, "Never." He moved closer to her again, trapping her body between his and the counter. "You can trust me, Chloe. Just because we don't agree about certain things doesn't mean there needs to be distance between us. That's not what I want and I don't think it's what you want either."

 

Chloe’s heart was thumping loudly in her chest as she held Oliver’s gaze. It had only been about three days since she’d surprised him at his office with proof that he’d been sabotaging their missions and already she’d found herself missing him.

 

But she couldn’t put the team at risk. Oliver wasn’t himself and he was compromising the safety of people they were trying to save. Putting the bad guys away had to be her first priority no matter how she was feeling. Chloe held Oliver’s gaze and swallowed hard trying to ignore his proximity. “Who are you working for?”

 

"I'm not working for anyone," Oliver replied. "I told you that I wanted to put everything behind me and that's true. Forget about this life; it's not worth the time and sacrifices that you make all the time." He reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand, brushing his thumb across her chin. "Let's go on a trip. I'll call the pilot and we can go anywhere in the world."

 

A look of sadness crept onto Chloe’s face even as she leaned into his touch. “I can’t do that Oliver. I have responsibilities.” She lifted her hand and gripped his wrist gently. “Ollie, this isn’t you,” she said softly. “Helping people is part of who you are. You can’t just walk away from it.” She said while brushing her thumb over his skin. “Tell me why you helped that man. He got  away with those guns because of you, how can you think that’s okay?” She asked baffled by his behavior.

 

Oliver frowned. Something about her words was troubling, but the thought was gone almost as soon as it entered his head. "Why wouldn't I help? Being a hero has gotten me nowhere. This isn't my life anymore." He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do to convince you to join me?" He brushed his thumb over her lip again and then he leaned down and covered her mouth with his. He kissed her slowly, drawing it out as he pressed himself against her, pinning her to the counter.

 

Chloe couldn't help responding to the kiss as his lips moved over hers. She opened her mouth letting him deepen the kiss as she slid her hands around his neck, unconsciously drawing him even closer to her so her body was pressed harder into the counter. Chloe had no idea what she was doing. This was wrong, she couldn't trust Oliver, but it was like her body didn't get the message as she pressed herself into him.

 

Oliver continued to draw out the kiss, sliding one hand into her hair as he rested his other hand on her hip, squeezing it gently through the fabric of her skirt. When air started to become an issue, he pulled back and dipped his head to her neck, trailing his kisses along her skin before gently sucking on her pulse point.

 

Chloe's head lulled to the side as a soft moan fell from her throat. Desire shot through her body, warmth filling her as his mouth sucked harder on her skin. Chloe's knees felt weak at the force of her body's reaction to him. Her hand threaded through the back of his hair as her eyes closed. "We can’t do this," she said a hint of breathlessness to her voice.

 

"Why not?" Oliver asked. He slid the hand that was on her hip beneath her shirt, resting his palm on her bare skin as he continued to tease her neck with his mouth. "We're both adults and we know what we want, don't we?"

 

Another soft noise left Chloe's throat, the heat from Oliver's palm searing her skin. Her stomach clenched with a need she wasn't aware existed as she held him to her neck. Chloe's heartbeat echoed in her ears, the edge of the counter digging into her back as he pressed against her again.

 

"What I want and what I should do are to different things," she breathed as her other hand slid slowly down his chest, feeling the hard plains of his body over his shirt. "Ollie this is bad," she gasped as his teeth grazed her skin, but she made no move to pull away from him.

 

"No, it's not," Oliver countered. He let his hand slide higher, across her ribs until his fingers brushed the bottom of her breast. "I want to be with you. The other stuff doesn't matter." He lifted his head from her neck and met her gaze, recognized the confusion building in her eyes. "What we feel for each other isn't going to disappear because of a disagreement," Oliver told her before he leaned down and captured her mouth beneath his in a deep kiss.

 

Chloe returned the kiss enthusiastically moving her mouth over his hard, giving herself over to the kiss. She wanted him, every inch of her body was throbbing with need. Chloe didn't break the kiss until her lungs burned with a need for air. "It's not a disagreement. You're trying to sabotage us Oliver." And even as Chloe said the words her hands tugged gently at his shirt until she was able to slide her palm beneath it brushing it against his skin.

 

Chloe sucked in a sharp breath, arousal stirring inside of her. "We shouldn't," she whispered as she arched her body away from the counter into him.

 

"I didn't try to sabotage you," Oliver countered, not giving her any room as he pressed himself against her again, his hand still brushing against her breast beneath her shirt. "You're taking this too personally. What happened isn't about us. This is about us," he said as he cupped her breast in his palm, brushing his thumb across her nipple. "I just want to be with you."

 

Chloe arched into his touch with a loud moan, her nipple hardening immediately beneath his touch. “Ollie,” his name tumbled from her lips as her breathing increased a deep ache building between her thighs. “That feels amazing,” she mumbled as she tried to recall why this was such a bad idea. “There’s something wrong with you,” Chloe said while pushing her chest further into his hand and clenching her nails against his stomach.

 

His muscles tensed beneath her touch. "You keep saying that and I keep telling you that there's not." Oliver met her gaze as his fingers continued to tease her. "I just see things differently now. That doesn't mean there's something wrong with me. I know what's important," he added before he leaned down and kissed her again, drawing it out slowly as his mouth moved over hers.

 

Chloe returned the kiss, letting him draw it out as her hand played with the material of his shirt briefly before she pulled her other hand out from under the material and used her fingers to pull open a button. She broke the kiss and sucked in a sharp breath, “We really shouldn’t do this…But I want you Ollie,” Chloe admitted, she couldn’t help it.

 

Her fingers continued moving until all the buttons on Oliver’s shirt were open. Chloe held his gaze and parted the shirt, her eyes dropping to the expanse of naked chest in front of her. Oliver’s hand was still cupping her breast and when he squeezed her gently she gasped.

 

"I want you too, Chloe," Oliver said. He loved how responsive she was to his touch. He slid his hand beneath the cup of her bra and caressed her bare skin; his eyes on her face as he waited for her reaction. "We can worry about everything else later." He leaned in and kissed her softly and then trailed his mouth along her neck as he pressed himself against her, his hips rocking gently against hers.

 

Chloe groaned at the feel of him rocking against her. She threaded her hand into his hair again another soft noise falling from her throat. “Lift me up?” Chloe meant for the words to be a statement, but it came out as a question as her free hand caressed his chest, needing to be closer to him.

 

He did what she asked, dropping both hands to her hips and lifting her up onto the counter. "This is definitely better," Oliver said, sending a smile in her direction before he kissed her again. He'd been thinking about this for so long and now that it was finally happening, he had every intention of enjoying every second of it.

 

Chloe cupped his cheeks as she returned the kiss, moving her mouth over his fiercely. She reached out gripping his waist and tugging him closer wanting to feel his body against hers. Chloe let all thoughts of criminals and kidnappings fall from her head as Oliver's hands continued roaming over her body, leaving trails of warmth in their wake.

 

Oliver went willingly as he enjoyed the feeling of being pressed against her. But it wasn't enough. His body felt like it was on fire and he had such a deep need to be with her that it was almost overwhelming. As the kiss broke, Oliver reached for the hem of her shirt and tugged it over her head, tossing it aside before he began trailing kisses along her neck and down to her collarbone as he brought his hands up to cup her breasts, teasing her nipples through the material with his thumbs.

 

Pleasure rocketed through Chloe as she thrust her upper body into his hands. She let her eyes flutter shut, the feel of his fingers moving against her nipples making her stomach muscles clench with desire. She used her leg to tug him even closer as one of her hands slid down his sculpted stomach.

 

Chloe curled her other hand in his hair holding his head to her skin, his mouth hot as it slid across her flesh. God she wanted him, “Ollie,” she moaned his name as she tried to press her legs together to ease the ache that had been persistently growing since the moment he touched her. Chloe was so lost in Oliver that she missed the sound of the alert on the computer in the main room letting her know someone was coming into the building.

 

Lois walked into the main room and was surprised to see that it was empty. She'd assumed Chloe would still be there and she'd wanted to see how her cousin was doing. Chloe wouldn't appreciate the hovering, but Lois didn't care. They were family and sometimes family had to smother one another when it was good for them. Or something like that, she thought as she walked toward the kitchen, assuming Chloe would be with her favorite appliance. Lois opened her mouth to call out to her, but then stopped short when she saw her cousin and Oliver. "What the hell is going on?" she asked, confused.

 

Oliver turned to look over his shoulder at the sound of Lois' voice and he raised an eyebrow when he saw the look she was giving them. "Come on, Lois, do we really need to spell it out for you?" he asked.

 

Chloe’s eyes flew open and her body tensed at the sound of her cousin’s voice. She glanced over at Lois and then back at Oliver, reality smacking her in the face. Her chest tightened, guilt building in it as she pressed a palm flat against Oliver’s chest and gently pushed him away from her. “You should go,” she said her breathing still heavy as she held his gaze. Chloe knew this had been a bad idea.

 

She let herself get carried away with the way he made her feel and Chloe knew she shouldn’t have. But she couldn’t help it. She was attracted to Oliver, she cared about him and she wanted him. Chloe swallowed hard, “Please, go.” She said trying to make her tone stern and failing miserably.

 

"Seriously?" Oliver asked, disappointed. He didn't understand why Chloe was always pushing him away. "All right," he agreed as he took a step back from her and started to button his shirt. "But this isn't over," he told her before leaning over and pressing a kiss to her lips. He straightened up and headed for the door. "Lois, your timing sucks."

 

"Nice to see you too, Ollie," Lois replied. She watched him walk toward the double doors before she turned back to Chloe. "What on earth is going on?" she asked.

 

Chloe took a deep breath and ran her hands on her face before hoping down from the counter and lifting her blouse from the floor. She quickly tugged it over her head and then made sure her skirt was situated correctly as embarrassment burned her cheeks.

 

Chloe finally turned to face Lois and was momentarily lost for words. “It’s complicated,” she finally said. “He dropped through the skylight,” she said pointing to the ceiling knowing that wasn’t a very clear answer.

 

Chloe sighed, “Before I realized Oliver was behind the things going wrong on missions something happened with us.” She told her cousin quietly. “And then two days later I realized what he’d been doing and confronted him about it. I haven’t seen him since, well until today.” She explained.

 

Lois shook her head as she tried to process all that information. "Is there a reason you decided against mentioning that something had happened between you two? That's kind of a big deal, Chlo," she pointed out.

 

Chloe frowned, “Because it’s private,” she said matter-of-factly, “And not something I wanted to bring up in a meeting with the team especially after I found out about what he did.” She explained.

 

"Okay," Lois agreed. She could see why Chloe's love life was not really something the whole team needed to know about. "But you could have told me. Is Ollie back to normal? Did you say he came in through the skylight?" she asked, that little nugget of information finally registering in her brain.

 

Chloe nodded, “I locked him out of Watchtower, changed the access codes and wasn’t answering his phone calls, so he broke into Watchtower.” The thought would have been sweet if it wasn’t so misguided. “He’s not back to normal, not even close.” She said quickly as she looked away from Lois and started walking towards the computer console in the main room.

 

Lois followed her. "Okay, but did you talk to him or jump straight to the 'let's have sex on the counter' part? I'm not judging if you did, but I don't understand what's going on with you, Chloe." Her cousin went through all the trouble of locking Oliver out, but she clearly wanted to be with him. Lois felt like she was missing something; maybe a lot of something.

 

Chloe paused by the computers and swallowed hard before turning to face her cousin. “I locked up watchtower, just as much for the teams benefit as my own.” She admitted. Chloe hesitated, “I care about him. I can’t help the attraction I’ve been feeling…the pull. But I have no idea what’s wrong with him and I can’t be with him when he’s like this.” She told Lois softly.

 

“He doesn’t see anything wrong with what he’s doing. He thinks it’s just a new way to live his life. And he doesn’t think he’s sabotaging us by helping the bad guys, in Oliver’s words we’re just having a disagreement.” The logic alone was ridiculous. Chloe knew there was something wrong with him, but she had no idea what or how to fix it. And she also had no idea if these feelings of his would go away once she did.

 

"We need to figure out who did this to him and find a way to undo it," Lois said. She held up her hand when she saw Chloe's mouth open. "I know I'm stating the obvious, but we have to start somewhere. Let's start with the criminals Oliver helped. If we can find a connection, maybe we can figure out who took him."

 

Chloe sighed and nodded. "I was thinking about trying to link together the two guys from the fighting ring to the arms dealer, but I hadn't gotten around to it just yet." She admitted.

 

"It probably had something to do with the hot guy that was pressed up against you. Sorry," Lois added, knowing her cousin wouldn't appreciate the comment. "I've got some free time. Let's get to work." She knew it wouldn't completely distract Chloe, but she figured having a purpose might help make things easier for a little while.


	5. Chapter 5

Oliver rubbed the back of his neck as he leaned against the back wall of the elevator, waiting for it to reach the penthouse. He still couldn't believe that Chloe had asked him to leave or that she'd locked him out in the first place. But Lois seriously had the worst timing ever. The doors opened and he sighed as he made his way inside, heading straight for the wet bar. It wasn't until he lifted the bottle to pour himself a glass of scotch that he realized he wasn't alone.

 

"Hey man," he said, continuing to pour his drink as his gaze shifted to Hal, who was sitting on the couch. "When did you get back to town?" He poured a second glass for Hal.

 

Hal watched Oliver as he poured the drink trying to see if he could notice anything different with his friend. “About an hour ago,” he commented. Hal had activated his suit and flown to Metropolis despite Tess’s protests. She thought it was a bad idea for him to talk to Oliver about what was going on, but Hal figured it couldn’t hurt.

 

“Everything okay?” He asked figuring that was the best way to start a conversation without coming out and asking Oliver why he was being all evil with the bad guy saving.

 

"Yeah, I'm just a little frustrated my night didn't go the way I thought it would." Oliver picked up both glasses and carried them to the couch, holding one out to Hal before he took a seat in the chair. "Other than that, things are good. What's new with you?" he asked.

 

Hal took the glass from his friend and took a quick sip before resting it on his leg. “Not much is new; crime has been slow, which is nice.” He said as he eyed his Oliver. “What went wrong with your night?” He asked trying not to sound too curious. He wondered if his friend was doing something he shouldn’t be.

 

Oliver rolled his eyes. "Lois has terrible timing." He took a sip of his drink and leaned back in the chair. "I was with Chloe and she interrupted us and then Chloe suggested I leave." He frowned, considering things. "Actually, she demanded I leave. But the end result is the same."

 

Hal frowned confusion marring his face momentarily before he leaned forward nearly knocking the drink from his lap, but saving it at the last minute. “What exactly did Lois interrupt you doing?” He asked though Hal was pretty sure he already knew the answer. Anger sparked inside of him at the fact that Chloe had all but told them Oliver was evil and working against them yet she didn’t seem to mind spending her free time with him.

 

Oliver hesitated. Hal was his best friend, but he knew Chloe preferred to keep personal things private. He wasn't sure how to answer the question. "We were...getting closer," he finished lamely. "It doesn't matter. I'm here now." He took another sip of his drink and wondered if Chloe was going to change her mind about them again.

 

Hal pursed his lips, “So you and Chloe are together even though you decided to back for team villain instead of tem hero huh?” He asked casually as he took another sip of his drink figuring being blunt was probably the best way to go in order to get a reaction from him.

 

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "We're not together, together. We might have been if Lois hadn't shown up, but Chloe's hesitant. Probably because she thinks I'm the bad guy now just because I don't see the point in wasting time when crime isn't going anywhere." He shrugged, finished off his drink and then set the empty glass on the table. "Do you want to order a pizza or something?"

 

Hal couldn’t believe Oliver’s words. He had known the other man for years and being Green Arrow, helping people was one of the most important things to his friend. Hal sighed, finished off his drink and placed the glass on the coffee table reminding himself to apologize to Chloe the next time he got the chance. “Oliver, you know you’re my best friend, but I’ve gotta say this whole I’m not loving the new attitude.” He said keeping his voice calm, “Why are you all of a sudden anti-helping people?”

 

Oliver sighed. "What is with you and Chloe? You're both acting like I announced that I want to see women and children run down in the streets. I just don't see what's wrong with people doing what they have to for survival. Who are we to get in the way of that?" he asked.

 

Hal arched an eyebrow, “You think someone selling guns on the street is just a person doing what they need to do to survive?” He asked confused by his friend’s lack of interest in the subject. “Look, I’m not trying to harp on things; I just want to understand what’s going on with you, that’s all.” He explained.

 

Something about Hal's words felt wrong, but Oliver pushed it aside, his hand going to the back of his neck. "I don't know. Can we talk about something else?" he asked.

 

“Sure,” Hal nodded, “After we talk about this. Just tell me one thing. If you’re fed up of crime and not being able to help why not just walk away and stop helping instead of helping the other side?”

 

"I'm not helping anyone," Oliver insisted. He didn't understand why his friends were seeing something that wasn't there. "I'm not going to let anything happen to any of you guys. You just keep doing your things if that's what you want." He picked up his glass and walked toward the bar to pour himself another drink.

 

Hal’s jaw clenched, but he could practically see Oliver shutting down on him so he took a deep breath and did his best to relax himself. “Okay, fair enough,” he said though he hated the words. But the last thing Hal wanted to do was alienate his friend. Maybe he could figure out what was wrong with Oliver by staying close to him. “So, new topic? Tell me about this Chloe thing,” he said trying to keep his voice light.

 

"You mean the thing Lois interrupted?" Oliver poured his drink and then moved back to the chair. "Do you need me to paint you a picture?" He wasn't sure what his friend wanted to know or why it was so hard to figure it out.

 

Hal rolled his eyes, “I know what you meant.” He said shaking his head, “I mean tell me about what’s going on with you two. The last time we talked I told you about Tess I guess I’m just wondering why you didn’t mention anything about you and Chloe. It’s not a big deal,” he added, “I get wanting to keep things quiet, but you know you can always tell me what’s going on.” He said as he leaned back in his seat again.

 

"Nothing had happened between us at that point," Oliver replied. He relaxed against the chair once again. "I mean we flirted, but we always do that. Then I hung out at her place one night and things took a turn, but she put the brakes on things again once she decided that I was the bad guy."

 

Hal nodded, “Which you’re not,” he commented, though his words suggested he was leaving the statement open for a response.

 

"Seriously?" Oliver glared at his friend. If you want to keep rehashing this, you need to leave." He didn't appreciate being spoken to like he was some sort of inept child.

 

Hal was surprised by the irritation in his friend’s voice. He held up a hand, “Jeez man, I was just kidding, take it down a notch.” Hal said as he watched Oliver for a minute. “Look you don’t want to do the Hero thing anymore, that’s your decision. I won’t say another thing about it.” He told him while silently promising himself that he’d look into everything Oliver did to try and fix whatever happened to him.

 

"Okay," Oliver said. He wasn't sure he believed Hal was really letting things go, but as long as he dropped the conversation, Oliver was good with it. "So yes or no on that pizza?" he asked.

 

Hal sent his friend a small smile, “I could eat,” he said as he glanced over to the balcony hoping that they’d be able to find out what was wrong with Oliver sooner rather than later.

 

______

 

Chloe glanced at the computer as she watched Hal’s dot move into the abandoned building by the docks. It was late Friday night and Clark was out of town with Lois at some kind of news convention and since Hal was still in town he agreed to run a last minute mission for her. Chloe had searched for over a week and the only connection she found between the gun runner that Oliver let go and the two men working in the underground fighting ring was a phone number that she traced to a supposedly abandoned building down by the docks, which was where Hal was at the moment.

 

Chloe’s brows drew together as she followed Hal’s progress on her screen. She tapped the com in her ear and spoke. “Are you in?” She asked even though she could see he was.

 

Hal tapped his com and paused in the main room of the bottom level of the building, “I’m in, where am I going?” He asked as he glanced around the musty building and snorted, “I’m finding it hard to believe that anyone is here, you should see this place,” he commented letting his voice trail off.

 

Hal had been crashing at Oliver’s apartment for the last week and while things between them were okay, Hal was pretty sure his friend had lost his mind. Chloe’s voice in his ear knocked him out of his thoughts. “Sorry Watchtower, can you repeat that?”

 

Chloe arched an eyebrow, “Walk straight until you come to a small staircase. Go up the stairs and turn right. There should be a room on the left hand side of the hallway. I’m getting some kind of signal from there.” She explained.

 

“Copy that,” Hal started walking until he spotted the stairs. He made his way up them carefully and centering his energy so a green glow emanated from his hand. He followed Chloe’s directions and looking around to make sure no one was around before spotting the door. Hal sidled up next to the wall stretched his hand out and pushed the half open door completely open.

 

Hal angled his head and glanced inside. He saw a desk setup with a bunch of computer equipment, some kind of printing machine and a chair. He frowned and tapped his com again. “There’s some kind of mobile office set up here,” he said while walking around to the front of the desk.

 

Chloe grinned, “I knew it, I need you to grab the computer and bring it back to Watchtower. This guy is connected to the others and I want to know how,” she explained.

 

Hal glanced down and confusion crossed his face when he couldn’t find the CPU. He glanced around to see if maybe it was somewhere else and that’s when he spotted the arrow sticking out of the wall and a broken window in the corner. Hal groaned, “Son of a bitch,” he grumbled.

 

Chloe pursed her lips, “What’s wrong Lantern? Do you need back up?”

 

Hal shook his head even though Chloe couldn’t see it as he made his way furiously out of the bedroom and back down the stairs, not bothering to be quiet. It didn’t matter though Hal knew no one was there. “We’re got a problem, Arrow got here before us. The CPU is gone.”

 

Chloe swore, her hands resting against the computer console as she pursed her lips. “Okay, just get back here, or better yet do you think you can run a sweep of the city?” She asked frustrated.

 

Hal was already out of the building and in the air, “I’m on it. Lantern out.” He pressed his finger to his ear and he took off in the sky angry that his friend was getting the best of them at every turn. He was tired of being nice; he wanted to know what the hell was going on with Oliver now.

 

______

 

The elevator jerked to a stop and Chloe reached out and lifted the gate quietly. She stepped out into the darkened apartment cautiously glancing around briefly before moving inside quickly. Chloe headed straight for Oliver’s desk. She knew he was out at some kind of fundraiser or something, she’d checked his schedule before coming over.

 

If Oliver was going to go around stealing from them, then she could do the same. Chloe went through his drawers, crouching down and looking through the bottom ones first. Ten minutes later she let out a frustrated sigh and turned around to glance at the clockface. Chloe bit her bottom lip and reached under the desk hitting the button to open Oliver’s secret room. If he was hiding something Chloe was going to find it.

 

Oliver had been changing out of the tuxedo he'd worn to the fundraiser when he heard the elevator doors open. Assuming it was Hal, he continued taking off his clothes, stripping down to his boxer briefs. He carried the clothes to the dry cleaning bag and then moved to the dresser to grab a pair of sweatpants, just as he heard the clock face being opened. Oliver frowned. What the hell was Hal doing? Changing direction, he headed for the stairs, quietly making his way to the main level.

 

He started to call out to Hal, but stopped short when he spotted Chloe rifling through the drawers. Oliver smirked to himself and made his way into the room, pausing behind her before leaning in and speaking directly against her ear. "Hasn't anyone ever told you it's not nice to snoop, Sidekick?" he whispered.

 

Chloe jumped as Oliver’s breath brushed against her ear, his voice startling her making the back of her head nearly collide with his. She whirled around her gaze unwittingly dropping to his bare chest before she jerked them back up, her skin warming, but she ignored it. “What are you doing here?” She asked as she swallowed hard, “You were supposed to be out.”

 

"I live here and how did you know I was supposed to be out?" Oliver asked, not missing the way her eyes took him in or the way her face flushed. "Were you checking up on me? You could have just called. You could have been my plus one for the event. Although, you saved yourself a dull evening."

 

Chloe kept her tone stern as she crossed her arms over her chest ignoring his words and his question. She was there for one reason and one reason only. “I want it back and I want it back now Oliver.”

 

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Is that the best you can do? You break in after you've been ignoring my calls and you don't give me so much as a 'hello' before you start making demands? Aren't you at least happy to see me? I missed you," he said as he reached out and gently tugged on one of her curls.

 

Chloe did her best to ignore the feel of him playing with her hair and made sure to keep her eyes on his. “Oliver,” she said his name with a sigh, “I’m not doing this with you. I want what you stole from that building down by the docks.” Chloe took a step closer to him. “You want to steal from other people, go for it, but not from me. I want it. Give it to me.” She said as she held his gaze.

 

"It's not here," Oliver replied. He shifted closer to her, resting one hand on her hip as he slid his other hand into her hair once more. "But I am and you are so why don't we forget everything else for awhile and get back to the way things were before your cousin interrupted us and you started ignoring me?" He didn't give her a chance to answer before he dipped his head and covered her mouth with his.

 

Chloe gasped into his mouth the feel of his lips moving over hers making her heartbeat pick up speed. She tried not to respond to the kiss, but the was just wishful thinking. Chloe opened her mouth beneath his deepening the kiss as she slid her up and gripped his neck hard, practically yanking him towards her.

 

Chloe didn’t want to admit it to herself before, but she had missed him, a lot. She missed talking to him and touching him and having his arms around her. Chloe’s lungs burned with a need for oxygen so she broke the kiss and met Oliver’s gaze. She sucked in a deep breath trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. Chloe took a step back and bumped into one of Oliver’s shelves. “I need it Oliver.” Her voice was soft as she tried to focus on why she’d come there in the first place.

 

"And I don't have it," Oliver told her again. He pressed himself against her, forcing her back against the counter. "Why have you been ignoring me?" he asked as he ran his hand down her side and then slipped it under the hem of her blouse to caress her bare skin. Oliver had called her several times since Lois had ruined their moment at Watchtower and she had been avoiding him. He didn't like it.

 

Chloe bit her lower lip to hold in the moan at the feel of his hand against her skin. She could feel her body responding to his touch and he was barely touching her. She swallowed hard, “Ollie, we’ve talked about this,” she said as she pressed a hand against his chest meaning to push him back, but instead curling her hand in his shirt. “This thing with us isn’t going to work until you’re better.” She said hoping her tone was coming off stern and not as weak as it sounded.

 

"There's nothing wrong with me, Chloe," Oliver replied, irritated. He took a step back from her so they were no longer touching. "You and Hal went on and on about how glad you were that I was back, but it sure as hell doesn't feel like it. He's been staying here and watching me like he expects me to murder an orphanage at any moment and you've stopped taking my calls, but have no problem breaking in here when you don't think I'm home. But I'm the one who needs help?"

 

Chloe was startled by the irritation in his voice, but she was definitely better equipped to deal with that than the alternative. Chloe glared at Oliver, “Oh, I’m the one who needs help?” She asked with an arched eyebrow. “You disappear for five months and when you get back you decide that being a hero is overrated and instead you’re going to do your own thing which involves making things harder for your own team,” she snapped, “Which by the way I’ve been running thanks for that.” She said annoyed.

 

Oliver rolled his eyes. "You're acting like I went away on a luxury vacation. I was kidnapped and regularly beaten within an inch of my life, remember?" He shook his head. "I don't know what you want from me, Chloe. You're either happy I'm back or you're not. If you're not, you can show yourself out and if you see Hal, tell him not to bother coming back either." He turned and stormed out of the equipment room. Oliver wasn't going to stand in his own home and let a woman who once claimed to be his best friend interrogate him.

 

Guilt blossomed in Chloe’s chest and her body shot forward of its own accord as she followed him out of his equipment room. “Oliver wait, please,” she caught up with him near the living room and gripped his arm. “I’m sorry, please,” she said softly urging him to turn and face her.

 

"I don't know what you want from me." Oliver hesitated for a moment before he turned to face her. "I know things are different now. Contrary to what everyone seems to think, I'm not mentally incapacitated. But I thought we were different, Chloe. I thought you'd always be there no matter what. Was I wrong?" he asked quietly. Oliver didn't care what most people thought of him, but the idea that Chloe was against him for any reason was hard to take.

 

Chloe’s heart clenched at the look in his eyes. She took a step forward and cupped his. “I am always on your side,” she said, her words soft, moisture in her eyes. “And I will always be here, no matter what.” She told him as she held his gaze. “But if you trust me, which I hope you do.” She added, “You would realize that I know you better than anyone Oliver, at least I think I do. And you’re not acting like yourself,” she whispered as she brushed her thumb over his cheek.

 

“All I want to do is find out why. Don’t you trust me? Don’t you trust that if I say something is different or unlike you that I know what I’m talking about?” She asked as she shifted closer to him.

 

"Of course I trust you," Oliver replied. "I trust you more than anyone else in my life. I have for a long time and you know that." Oliver could see that she was upset and he hated that, but he needed to get this out. "I don't know what you want me to do, Chloe. I know you think what I'm doing is wrong, but it's what I have to do. I'm not trying to hurt you or anyone else."

 

Chloe sent him a curious look. “You keep saying that,” she commented. “You never say it’s something you _want_ to do. You say it’s something you _have_ to do.” Chloe tilted her head to the side, “Why? Why do you have to do it? What happens if you don’t?” She asked while letting her hand run down his shirt.

 

"Nothing," Oliver replied. He rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to make sense of what she was saying. It seemed off somehow, but he couldn't place why. "Do you want a drink or something?" he asked.

 

Chloe opened her mouth, but paused before nodding, “Sure,” she said slightly disappointed by his words. “I could use a drink.” She mumbled as she dropped her hand from his cheek.

 

He didn't miss the disappointed look on her face. "And now you're upset with me again," Oliver noted, his tone flat. "Maybe this isn't a good idea. Maybe I should leave Metropolis. Then you and the rest of the team wouldn't have to worry about me doing something you don't think is right."

 

“No!” The sharp sound of her voice startled her as she moved closer to him and gripped his midsection. “Please don’t leave. I’m not upset with you I’m upset with the situation. I just wish I knew what was going on that’s all. I care about you…I don’t want you to leave me again.” Chloe said softly. It was bad enough the first time, but now with whatever was going on with him she didn’t want Oliver out there fending for himself.

 

The urgency in her voice surprised him and Oliver automatically wrapped his arm around her waist, tugging her closer to him as he lifted his other hand to her cheek. "I'm sorry. I'd never leave you by choice. You know that." He brushed his thumb over her skin, trying to soothe her. Oliver wasn't sure where his tantrum had come from; he was starting to wonder if there was something wrong with him. He pushed the thought aside and focused on Chloe. "I'm here."

 

Chloe leaned into him and rested her head on his chest. “Good,” she said softly, “I’m sorry for ignoring your calls.” Chloe said quietly and she was. She’d been selfish. Chloe didn’t want to talk to him because she didn’t trust herself to say no to him, but that wasn’t Oliver’s fault. “I am glad you back Ollie, please don’t question that.”

 

"Okay," Oliver agreed. "But what are we going to do about this?" he asked. "We can't keep having the same fight over and over again. I don't want to stay away from you, but I don't want to hurt you every time we see each other either." Oliver had no idea what the right answer was, but he did know that no matter what was between them, Chloe was still going to want answers and he didn't have them.

 

Chloe was silent for a minute as she contemplated his words. “Maybe we just need to separate what we have with each other from everything else.” She said as she ran a hand down his arm. “I’m going to stop pretending I don’t want to be here with you and maybe you can try to control your urge to steal stuff from me?” She joked as she grinned up at him.

 

Oliver laughed. "I'm not sure it counts as stealing from you when we were both trying to steal the same thing from someone else and I just got there first. You know I've always been good at taking things that don't belong to me," he teased before leaning down and pressing a kiss to her lips. He pulled back almost instantly and rested his forehead against hers. "The whole time I was gone, I missed you so much it hurt. I don't want to be away from you anymore."

 

His words struck a chord inside of her and she pressed herself into him, warmth filling her chest. “You won’t, I’m here,” she said hoping that sticking by his side might lead her to whoever he was working for. “I’m not going anywhere this time Ollie. I’ll be here whenever you need me.” She said softly and that wasn’t just because she wanted to help him. Chloe genuinely enjoyed spending time with him.

 

"Good to know," Oliver replied. "So now that we've got that settled, would you like to stay awhile? The fundraiser was dull so I left early. My evening is pretty open." He let his hand slide beneath her shirt to rest on her lower back. "What's on your agenda?" he asked.

 

Chloe took a deep breath as the feel of his hand against her skin. “Nothing,” she said before swallowing hard, “Well aside from that thing I was supposed to get back from you that you don’t have.” She explained with a short laugh. “But other than that nothing. So, I can stay for a bit.”

 

"I don't have it," Oliver confirmed. He'd taken it and returned it to the person who had sent him for it. Oliver pushed the thought aside and moved toward the couch, pulling Chloe with him. "What should we do with the rest of the night? I have a few suggestions," he added before leaning in and trailing his mouth along her neck.

 

Chloe let her head fall to the side as his lips slid across her skin. “Oh?” She asked as warmth blossomed inside of her again. “I’m definitely open to suggestions,” she said as one of her hands went to his chest and the other threaded through his hair.

 

Oliver smiled. "I have a few suggestions, but I should warn you they all involve less talking." He captured her mouth beneath his once more, letting the tension and frustration slip away. None of that mattered right now. All he wanted was to be with Chloe and she was there with him. Everything else would work itself out.


	6. Chapter 6

Hal stood in the elevator leaning against the back wall as he waited for it to ascend to Oliver’s penthouse. He spent the night out patrolling the city and then spent a few hours at a bar down the road until it closed. He was furious, confused, and hurt. Hal had no idea what was going on with his friend, but he was tired of sitting around and doing nothing.

 

The elevator chimed and he stepped forward and pulled up the gate before walking into the apartment. Hal was going to talk to Oliver and he was going to listen to him whether he liked it or not. Hal tossed his jacket on one of the chairs and then made his way down the hallway pausing when he spotted Oliver stretched out of the couch with Chloe pressed up against his side.

 

Hal’s mouth dropped open and he stood there for a solid minute before anger built inside of him. What the hell was Chloe doing with Oliver after what happened last night? Hal walked into the living room and stood on the other side of the coffee table. “What the hell is going on here?” He asked his tone hard.

 

"Sleeping," Oliver replied, his voice hoarse. He'd heard Hal come in, but he'd assumed he'd keep walking to the guest room. Apparently that wasn't going to be the case, which meant he wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep. He shifted on the couch, mindful of Chloe resting against him and opened his eyes to meet his friend's angry gaze. "What?" he asked, not sure why Hal seemed so annoyed.

 

Hal cocked his head to the side. “Do you really not know why I’m pissed right now?” He asked as he pointed at Chloe. “Let’s put aside the fact that she was supposed to come here to get the computer from you, which I can clearly see she hasn’t done, but you actually went in and took something that we needed and I’m tired of it!” He all but shouted.

 

Chloe stirred at the raised voices her eyes fluttering open in confusion. “What’s going on?” She asked her voice scratchy.

 

"I don't have the computer," Oliver replied. He arched an eyebrow at his friend, trying to hold in his irritation because he didn't want to upset Chloe again. "But it's really not cool for you to stay here and then come in and start throwing around accusations."

 

“Accusations?” He said incredulously, “Are you kidding me?”

 

Chloe shifted, “Hal don’t,” she said softly.

 

Hal turned his gaze on Chloe and, “Don’t? What the hell happened to you? You were supposed to come here and get what we needed for the team, which he distracted you from,” Hal pointed to Oliver, “Obviously you forgot all about that.” He snapped.

 

Chloe frowned. “That’s not fair,” she said quietly with a sigh. Hal getting angry wasn’t going help figure out what was going on with Oliver.

 

"Hey," Oliver replied, his voice filled with warning, "Do not talk to her like that. What happens between Chloe and me is none of your business. If you want to be mad, fine, but you are not going to disrespect her." Oliver was angry that his friend had the nerve to come into his home with so much attitude.

 

Hal glared at his friend. “Oh no, I wouldn’t want to do that.” He said annoyed how his friend was only interested in protecting Chloe or getting in their way. He turned his gaze on Chloe. “I’m going to get my things and hopefully by the time I leave you’ll have come to your senses.” He took a step closer to her, “This isn’t helping him.” He snapped before storming out of the living room.

 

Chloe didn’t even have a chance to say anything. She swallowed hard and turned to face Oliver, “I’m sorry about that,” she said not even sure why she was apologizing when she knew Hal was at least half right.

 

"You don't have to apologize. I'm the one who's sorry. Hal is a guest in my home and the least he could do was respected me and you." Oliver shook his head as he straightened up on the couch, shifting Chloe a little so she was sitting up too. "I guess we fell asleep during that last movie." He smiled at her and reached out, brushing a piece of hair from her face. "Good morning."

 

Chloe sent him half a smile, “Morning,” she said softly. “I guess we did.” She was silent for a minute as she glanced down the hallway. Chloe bit her lower lip and then looked back at Oliver. “I didn’t intend to stay here last night,” she admitted, “I probably should get going. I still need to look into a few things, though you could probably save me some time if you tell me where you put that computer,” she said brightly.

 

Oliver's smile faded. So much for things being okay between them. "Sorry about falling asleep," he said as he got to his feet. Oliver suddenly wanted a drink, but it was a little early for that, even for him. "Do you want some coffee for the road?" he asked.

 

It wasn’t lost on Chloe how he didn’t even acknowledge her question. She sighed softly and stood closing the distance between them and reaching for his hand threading their fingers together. “Coffee for the road would be nice,” she said giving his hand a small squeeze. Chloe could hear the sound of things banging in the guest bedroom and she assumed Hal was taking his time packing his things up. That was something else she was going to need to deal with later.

 

Oliver heard the noise Hal was making too, but he wasn't going to acknowledge his friend's tantrum. "Next time, I promise better hospitality," he told Chloe as he led her toward the kitchen. Oliver wasn't happy that Hal had interrupted them and he also wasn't happy that he could practically see the guilt pouring off of Chloe. He had a feeling things were probably going to get worse instead of better.

 

Chloe chuckled softly, “You’re being perfectly hospitable.” She announced as she stood beside him trying to keep her mind focused on him and not what she should probably be doing. “We should probably talk about what we’re doing here,” Chloe said casually.

 

"Didn't we already have this talk last night?" Oliver asked as he moved toward the cabinet to get the coffee. He glanced over his shoulder at Chloe as he started the process of getting it ready. "Or have you already changed your mind about us?" he asked.

 

Chloe watch him for a minute as she leaned back against the counter. "We did talk. You want me," she said with a smile, "I want you." She told him wanting him to know that hadn't changed. "Are we dating? Because if you wanted to ask me out on a date I would probably be okay with that." Chloe said throwing the comment out there.

 

Before either of them said anything Hal came out of the guest room bag thrown over his shoulder. He stepped into the kitchen and pursed his lips. "Thanks for giving me a place to crash," he said before turning to Chloe. "I'll be at Watchtower if you plan on getting your head in the game sometime this century." Hal was angry. He missed Oliver just as much as Chloe did, but cozying up to him when he was in this state wasn't the right thing to do.

 

Oliver bit back his temper. He wasn't going to let Hal provoke him again. "You're welcome," he said. "Have a safe trip home," he added, assuming Hal would be leaving again soon.

 

Hal smirked, “You’d like that wouldn’t. But I’m not going home just yet.” He said as he opened his mouth to tell Oliver he was being ridiculous, but Chloe cut him off before he could.

 

“I’ll see you later Hal,” she said the words sternly. Chloe could see he was angry at her, but she had a plan, one she would let everyone in on later. She just needed them to trust her.

 

Hal pursed his lips, shook his head and walked out, the gate to the elevator slamming behind him. Chloe sighed and turned back to Oliver sending him half a smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

 

"I'm sorry Hal's a jackass," Oliver said. He poured the coffee for her and held it out. "But I think that date you mentioned earlier sounds like a good idea. Are you free tomorrow night?" he asked. Maybe if they did something that was normal, Chloe would see that there wasn't anything wrong with him.

 

Chloe took the coffee mug from Oliver and nodded, “For you?” She asked with a small grin trying to ease the tension, “Of course.” She took a sip of her coffee and then let out a content sigh. “Delicious.” She said softly, “Thanks.”

 

"You're welcome," Oliver replied. He reached out and brushed his fingers across her cheek. "Last night was fun. I'm glad you broke in," he teased.

 

Chloe chuckled softly, though his words only served to remind her that she’d been at his place to do something last night and completely failed at figuring out where the computer was stashed. “Well I’ll be sure to keep doing it then,” she joked. Chloe took another sip of her coffee as she studied Oliver’s expression trying to figure out if bringing up the computer was a good idea. “Ollie…can we talk about the computer?” She asked softly.

 

Oliver was quiet for a moment. He didn't appreciate that she refused to let it go, but he also knew that was who Chloe was and he couldn't expect her to stop asking questions. "What's on your mind?" he asked.

 

“I really need it,” Chloe held up a hand when she saw his mouth open. “I know you don’t have it, but I think you know who does.” She took a step closer to him and set the coffee down on the kitchen island. “All I need is a name.” She said softly, “Please.”

 

"Chloe, do you really think I went through all the trouble of stealing it before Hal could get there and making sure he knew I was the one to steal it just so I could tell you who has it? What would be the point of that?" Oliver asked, wanting her to see how ridiculous that sounded.

Chloe’s mouth dropped open at his words wondering if he realized what he had just admitted. “So not only did you steal it on purpose, but the arrow in the wall was basically your way of saying ‘haha I got here first’ to Hal?” Chloe shook her head. “How did you know that we were zeroing in on the computer?” She asked trying to make the anger that was building inside of her dissipate.

 

"Maybe I couldn't resist letting Hal know that I'd beat him to the punch. It's a guy thing," Oliver said with a shrug. His friend had been getting on his nerves since he'd come back to town so Oliver had seen an opportunity and grabbed it. "I know you, Chloe. I know all of you and I know when things come up on your radar. I couldn't let you guys have it."

 

Chloe was silent for a minute. She pursed her lips and took a step closer to him as she angled her head up and met his gaze. “I’m going to get it back.” She told him as she forcing herself to keep her voice calm, but it was hard with how cocky he was being. “I should get going.” Chloe said finally.

 

"You're mad at me." It was a statement, not a question. Oliver could see it written all over her face. "Are we still on for dinner tomorrow?" he asked.

 

Chloe arched an eyebrow. “You know me so well. Why don’t you answer that question for yourself.” She said before she turned and went into the living room to grab her jacket and shoes. Chloe slipped them on her feet, annoyed with herself for thinking she could make this whole thing work. She didn’t want to abandon Oliver, but she didn’t like this new found attitude of his. “I’ll call you later,” she called out to him while making her way to the elevator.

 

"Bye Chloe," Oliver called. He wondered how long she was going to be mad at him this time. He supposed it didn't matter; it wasn't like either of them was going to change their positions any time soon.

 

______

 

Chloe walked angrily from the elevator to the double doors of Watchtower’s main room, both palms pressing flat against the doors as she shoved them open. She needed to calm down. If she ran away from Oliver every time he pissed her off this was never going to work. Chloe needed to get close to him so she could try and figure out where he was getting his orders from and how he was figuring out there moves before they did them.

 

Chloe glanced up and came to a halt when she spotted Hal and Tess talking near the mainframe. Chloe frowned, “What’s going on?” She asked as she took a couple of steps closer before pausing a few feet away from them.

 

Tess turned and sent Chloe a tight smile. "I came to town to see what was keeping Hal here and he was just filling me in on his latest fights with Oliver." He'd also given her an earful about what he thought of Chloe getting close to Oliver, but Tess wasn't going to repeat that.

 

Chloe arched an eyebrow her hands crossing over her chest. “Oh I bet he did. What the hell was your problem this morning?” She asked glaring at Hal.

 

Hal glared right back at her. “My problem? Since when do we cozy up to the enemy?” He asked, “I didn’t realize spending the night with Oliver was going to solve our problems.” He snapped.

 

"This isn't going to solve anything," Tess insisted, purposely stepping between them. "We've already got Oliver working against us; we don't need you two snapping at each other too." She gave Hal another warning look and then turned to Chloe. "Have you made any progress getting through to him?"

 

Chloe finally looked away from Hal and glanced at Tess. She shook her head. “No, not yet.” She shifted on her feet and sighed. “He’s doing this on purpose. He actually found it amusing that he got there before Hal…and the Arrow in the wall was him sticking to you,” she said directing her comment at Hal.

 

Hal snorted, “I could have told you that,” he said annoyed and slightly hurt. Knowing that his best friend was actively working against him was bad enough, but knowing he was enjoying it was worse.

 

Chloe reached up and rubbed the back of her neck. “I want to spy on him.” She said suddenly.

 

"Spy on him?" Tess repeated. It wasn't a terrible idea, but she wasn't sure how well it would work either considering Chloe's obvious feelings for Oliver. "What did you have in mind?" she asked.

 

Chloe glanced between Hal and Tess before speaking. “The next time I’m at his place I can bug his apartment and his phone. He’s communicating with someone.” She said her brows drawing together, “Some of the things he says just wouldn’t make sense otherwise,” Chloe explained. “If I stay close to him then maybe we can make some kind of headway.”

 

Hal leaned back against the console and shook his head. “It’s not a good idea. You aren’t objective when it comes to Oliver, Chloe and he’s all over the place with his split personality syndrome or whatever the hell is wrong with him.

 

"I'm not sure either of you are objective when it comes to Oliver," Tess commented. She knew Hal was hurt by his friend's behavior and she couldn't blame him, but lashing out at Chloe was not the solution.

 

"Chloe, I hate to say this, but how can you be sure Oliver won't hurt you? It's too big of a risk. He's always been the type of person who thinks ten steps ahead of everyone else. If he finds out you're spying on him, there's no telling what he'll do."

 

Chloe swallowed hard, “He won’t.” She said matter-of-factly. “There is no version of Oliver that would ever hurt me and I trust that. Look it’s worth a shot, unless anyone else has any ideas.” She asked glancing between them with an arched eyebrow.

 

Tess wasn't so sure about that. She glanced at Hal, trying to figure out what he was thinking. "Maybe she's right and it's worth a shot."

 

Hal threw up his hands, “Whatever, I guess we don’t have a better plan. And we don’t have any leads. Plus I’m pretty sure I’m no longer welcome there so we might as well see what Chloe can get out of him.” He said begrudgingly.

 

Chloe smiled. “I think this plan will work.” She knew it was going to take a little time and she’d have to spend more time with Oliver without getting so angry with him, but she could do it. She had to.

______

 

Oliver rolled his eyes at the lengthy email Tess had sent him. He'd missed a meeting a few days earlier due to a conflict and she'd been harping on him about it ever since. Oliver scrolled through the message, read the latest developments and then sent a quick response, telling her he would deal with it on Monday when he was back in the office. He closed his email and slipped his phone back in his pocket, leaning back on the couch as he wondered what was taking Chloe so long.

 

He'd decided to surprise her by stopping by her place and she'd definitely been surprised. It had taken her almost ten minutes before she'd let go of some of the tension in her body. Oliver wasn't sure what she'd expected him to say. Then again, nothing was normal between them anymore.

 

The door opened and Oliver's eyes shifted in that direction as Chloe came back in. "Did you get your coffee?" he asked. Oliver had thought it was strange that Chloe had decided to go downstairs to get coffee instead of making her own, but she'd said something about the machine not working right the past few days.

 

Chloe held up the paper coffee cup up and nodded as she closed the door behind her. “I did, sorry about that,” she said keeping her tone as she took a sip and walked over to the couch. Chloe ran a hand down her side, her fingers grazing her pocket to make sure her phone was where she left it.

 

Chloe had needed an excuse to leave the room so she could clone Oliver’s cell phone. Typically you had to be in range to do that kind of thing, but she was able to get in through an email that Tess had sent Oliver and now every message, every phone call or email he got she would get too. Chloe pushed her thoughts aside and sat down beside Oliver.

 

“So, how are you?” she asked as she took another sip of her coffee. Chloe knew it was important for her to control any anger that came her way, but for right now she just wanted to try and enjoy her time with Oliver if that as possible.

 

"I'm okay," Oliver replied. He watched her for a minute, trying to figure out what was off. Unfortunately, it felt like everything was off between them and he was starting to wonder if this whole thing was a mistake after all. "I figured since you didn't call, I'd make the first move." He sent her a tentative smile. "Or should I have just taken the hint?" he asked.

 

Chloe set her cup of coffee on the table and tilted her head to the side. “I’m sorry I didn’t call.” She said genuinely. “This whole thing has just been hard for me to grasp. But you know how much I care about you.” She admitted.

 

"I do know that," Oliver said. He never doubted that Chloe cared about him and he didn't think that was going to change. "But I'm still not really convinced that this is what you want." He figured there was no use ignoring the elephant in the room.

 

Chloe shifted closer to him and rested a hand on his leg. “I’m not going to lie, seeing you this way is new for me and while I don’t like the fact that you’re working against us,” Chloe shook her head when Oliver started to open his mouth, “Don’t. You are actively going after things that we need and by definition that means you’re working against us. But despite that I do want to be with you.” Chloe said softly.

"Why?" Oliver asked. As much as he wished otherwise, it didn't make sense that Chloe would still be interested and she wasn't exactly going out of her way to spend time with him. "You say that this is what you want, but your actions speak a lot louder."

 

Chloe’s brows drew together, “Why?” She asked, “Because I like you, because there isn’t anyone else I want.” She explained finding that the words were true. “What do I need to do to prove that I want to be here with you?” She inquired genuinely curious.

 

"I don't want you to feel like you have to prove anything to me. That's not who we are," Oliver said. Even before they'd gotten close, they'd always understood one another and it hurt that things were different now.

 

Chloe nodded, “I know.” She said with a sigh. This wasn’t working out the way she planned. Apparently Oliver was getting tired of her constantly walking out on him and she supposed she couldn’t blame him, but at the same time it was hard not to walk out when he acted like a jackass.

 

Chloe brushed her thumb against his skin. “Why do you want to be with me?” She tilted her head to the side as she watched him waiting for an answer.

 

"Do you really not know the answer to that?" Oliver asked. He didn't wait for her to respond because the look on her face told him everything he needed to know. Oliver shifted closer to her on the couch, reaching out to cup her cheek in his hand.

 

"Chloe, you're my best friend, but it's so much more than that. You're beautiful, you're smart, you're funny...you're the person who means the most to me. Why wouldn't I want to be with you?"

 

Chloe’s expression soften, his words warming her heart. She reached up and cupped Oliver’s cheek as she held his gaze for a second before leaning in and capturing his lips in a soft kiss. Chloe moved her mouth over his taking her time as she deepened the kiss, only releasing his lips when air became an issue.

 

Chloe let out a shaky breath and rested her forehead against his, “That might be the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me,” she admitted honestly.

 

Oliver smiled. "It's true." He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose and then to her lips once more. "I think we're worth fighting for," he whispered before he kissed her again, slower this time, drawing it out.

 

Chloe returned the kiss with enthusiasm, letting her hand move from his face to the back of his neck, gripping him tightly as she shifted even closer to his body on the couch.

 

Chloe sucked in a sharp breath after finally breaking the kiss as the fingers on her free hand slid up and his arm. "Have I mentioned how much I'm enjoying this new aspect of our relationship?" She asked, her voice soft as she let her lips trail across his jaw.

 

Oliver laughed. "I have to say that I'm enjoying it myself. But I do feel bad that we still haven't had that date we were discussing the other night. What are you doing later?" As he spoke, he slid his hand beneath her shirt to caress her skin. "Maybe we could do something in the city," he said as he dipped his head and trailed kisses along her neck.

Chloe’s breathing hitched in her throat as she angled her head to the side giving Oliver better access to her neck. Chloe could feel her heartbeat picking up speed as his warm lips moved against her skin. “I’d like that,” she said as she slipped a hand down his chest and beneath his shirt, running her fingers over his abdominal muscles.

 

"Good," Oliver said as he teased her pulse point with his tongue. "And maybe afterward you can stay at my place. I promise there won't be any unwanted houseguests this time," he added.

 

Chloe let her eyes fall shut as a soft moan fell from her throat. Her stomach fluttered at the thought of spending the night at Oliver’s. “I’ll have to grab some clothes if you want me to spend the night,” she said trying to keep the breathlessness out of her voice as her hand clenched against his skin.

 

"I think clothes are something we can worry about later. Much later," he added before capturing her mouth once again. Oliver kissed her slowly, deepening it as he enjoyed being close to her. His phone vibrated at the same time Chloe's familiar text message alert dinged.

 

"Sorry," Oliver said as he reached for his phone. "I guess someone wants both of us right now." He glanced down at the message from his assistant and sent back a quick response. She texted back immediately and his phone vibrated as Chloe's went off once more.

 

Chloe swallowed hard and reached for her phone. “I guess so,” she commented while leaning back on the couch and sliding her finger across the screen to check her phone. She immediately went into settings and put her alerts to silent, something she probably should have done before hand. Then she made sure to text Tess and let her know the program was working before closing out the screen and putting it back on the table.

 

Chloe turned to Oliver with a smile, “Lois is probably one of the most impatient people in the world,” she said shaking her head. “But I told her I’d call her later. Everything okay?” She asked while nodding towards his cell phone.

 

"There's a small problem," Oliver said as another text from Mary came through. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Chloe's screen lit up too. Oliver sent another message and waited for a reply. The phone vibrated in his hand and once again, Chloe's phone lit up. "Or maybe there's a bigger problem." He moved quickly, grabbing the phone from the table before she could say anything and getting to his feet as he looked at the screen and saw the identical messages.

 

Chloe stood up as he looked through her phone. She arched an eyebrow, “I don’t see a problem,” she said matter-of-factly as she reached for her phone and pried it out of his hands. “I believe that’s mine.” Chloe said while slipping it into her back pocket. She wasn’t stupid enough to think he hadn’t seen the text messages, but if Oliver could go around using their information against them and not think it was a big deal then in her eyes she could do the same to him. “So, where are we going tonight?” She asked as she lifted her coffee and started to walk towards the kitchen.

 

Oliver studied her for a moment, wondering what kind of game she was playing. He also was curious when she'd cloned his phone. But he knew better than to ask; she'd never tell him. "Tonight's not going to work for me after all. Maybe I'll call you tomorrow. Or just send a text to myself so you can read it," he added snidely before moving toward the door.

 

Chloe turned around to face him and she spoke even though his back was turned to her. “What’s the matter Oliver, you can dish it out, but you can’t take it?” She inquired. “It’s okay for you to admit that you’re using our information against us and then tell me I shouldn’t be mad because it has nothing to do with our relationship, but if I do it to you I’m in the wrong?” She put the coffee down and took a few steps towards him. “Which is it? Should I be angry that you’re taunting _my_ team? Or should I let it go because it has nothing to do with _us_?”

 

"I'm not angry, Chloe. I'm impressed." Oliver turned to face her once more. "It's not often someone gets the better of me and it's my own fault for not paying closer attention. But now that I know, I have some things to take care of." He needed to see what else she'd gotten into and make sure nothing had been compromised.

 

A slow smile spread across Chloe’s face, “Worried I might find out all your dirty little secrets?” She asked, “You chose me to work with you for a reason Oliver and that’s because no matter how long it takes I always get my man even if that’s you.” She said pointedly. “Take care of whatever you need to take care of; I most likely already have what I need.” She said as she met his gaze. “No kiss goodbye?”

 

Oliver smirked. "And what exactly is your plan for me, Sidekick? I know what you normally do to people who break the law, but funny thing; you never had a problem with any of my tactics when we were working together. Maybe that's something you should be thinking about." He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her lips.

 

Chloe returned the kiss, “Well then maybe you should think about working with me again so we can be mischievous together,” she said as she cupped his cheek and captured his lips in a longer kiss. “I’d also prefer to keep my plans for you a surprise. It’s more fun that way.” She said softly pressing her lips to his again knowing that the information from Oliver’s cell phone should have been done downloading a while ago, but wanting to make sure just in case.

 

They needed that computer back and Chloe knew Tess was going to send Hal out as soon as she found the location.

 

"Or you could just take my advice and stop wasting your time." He leaned in again and spoke directly against her ear. "I have four cell phones that you know about. Do you really think I'd be careless enough to use my main phone for anything unsavory?" Oliver recognized a stall tactic when he saw one.

 

Chloe smiled, “Do you really think I don’t how you work? How long have we been working together?” She asked with an arched brow. “You know me as well as I know you.” Chloe said matter-of-factly, “You underestimate me.” She told him simply. “I thought you were leaving?” She said as she ran a hand down the front of his shirt.

 

"I was. I am," Oliver said, distracted. He knew he should leave, but he suddenly wasn't in such a hurry. "This isn't going to end well, Chloe." He slid his arms around her waist, yanking her body against his as he held her gaze.

 

Chloe’s heartbeat sped up again and she swallowed hard, “Of course it will, I’m going to win, how can that not be a good thing?” She teased though she meant every word as her gaze dropped to his lips. Chloe pressed herself closer to him as she let her fingers play with the hair at the back of his neck.

 

"You're playing with fire," Oliver warned her. He knew she wasn't going to give up, but neither was he. Oliver dipped his head and captured her mouth beneath his, kissing her hungrily as he gripped her hips, keeping her body pressed tightly against his.

 

Chloe made a small noise against his mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss enthusiastically, moving her mouth hard over his. She could hear her heartbeat echoing and in ears and the feel of his hands on her hips made her body warm.

 

Chloe broke the kiss when her lungs burned painfully, sucking in some much needed air before brushing her lips against the corner of his mouth. “Does that mean I’m about to get burned?” She whispered against his skin as she let her hand fall and once again slid it beneath his shirt caressing the skin beneath it.

 

"It just means you should be careful," Oliver replied. He shifted her body so her back was pressed against the nearest wall. His eyes were dark when they met her gaze as he ran his hand over her side.

 

Chloe shivered, anticipation moving through her as she met his gaze. She swallowed hard when she saw the look in his eyes, her tongue darting out briefly and running across her top lip. “Ollie,” she practically moaned his name as she tugged him closer so his body was pressed flush against hers. “I like it better when you’re close,” she whispered, not entirely sure when she’d gotten so bold.

 

"I like it better too," Oliver said. He gripped her hips and lifted her easily against the wall, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist. Once she did, he dipped his head and kissed her again, his mouth moving quickly over hers as he began undoing the buttons on her shirt.

 

Chloe gripped his cheeks as she kissed him back. She arched her body into him, the feel of his body pressing her into the wall making arousal stir inside of her. “Ollie,” she gasped his name, her chest rising and falling quickly as he parted her shirt. The cool air hit her skin and she felt goose bumps appear on her skin.

 

Chloe hadn’t meant for things to go this far at least not at the moment, but god she wanted him. Chloe dropped her hands and started working on opening his shirt needing to feel his skin against hers.

 

When she finished unbuttoning his shirt, Oliver shrugged it off, letting it fall to the floor before he sent hers in the same direction. His eyes moved over her and his mouth was suddenly dry. Oliver met her gaze once again. "Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked.

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything this bad before,” Chloe admitted in a rush of words as she ran her hand through his hair. “So bad,” she said again before closing her mouth over his hungrily, moving her lips hard against his and deepening the kiss. Chloe let her fingers slide down his torso until they rested on his belt.

 

Oliver returned the kiss as he slid his hand into the waistband of her skirt and cupped her center in his palm. Even through the fabric of her panties, he could feel how wet she was and that made him groan into her mouth. He brushed his fingers along her panties, enjoying the way her body arched against the wall. "I want you too, Chloe. More than I even realized was possible." He literally felt like he was going to burst if he didn't touch her, really touch her, the way he craved.

 

Chloe’s head tilted back against the wall as pure unadulterated need slammed into her. Her stomach clenched with desire and she rocked her hips into him making his hand press more firmly against her center. “Oh god,” she moaned as her eyes fluttered shut. “Ollie please,” one of her hands moved to his shoulder gripping it tightly. “I need you.” She whimpered. Chloe had never been so turned on in her life and he’d barely touched her so far.

 

"I need you too." He slipped his fingers inside her panties, caressing her bare skin before he slid his fingers inside of her, groaning at the feel of her wet heat surrounding him. Her body was tight and he was so turned on that he had to remind himself to hold onto his self-control. Oliver moved his fingers inside of her as he dipped his head and trailed kisses over her neck and down to her chest.

 

Chloe gasped at the feel of his fingers inside of her and tightened her grip on his shoulder. She tilted her head to the side and let her eyes fall shut as pleasure filled her. Chloe rocked her hips forward another small noise falling from her throat. “God, that feels good, don’t stop.” She moaned as she bit her lower lip.

 

Oliver watched the pleasure cross her face as he continued moving his fingers inside of her. He brushed his thumb over her clit, making her jump, and then did it again, slower this time, rubbing hard circles across the bundle of nerves. "You feel so good, Chloe." His breathing was already harsher than normal and Oliver moved his fingers faster when he felt her walls starting to tighten around him. She was already close to the edge.

 

Soft noises fell from Chloe’s throat as she rocked against Oliver as best as she could in her current position. Her stomach clenched as a heavy pressure built in her lower belly. Chloe could feel her body responding to him as his fingers pushed in and pulled out of her body. “Yes, oh god yes,” Chloe chanted in soft cries as his pressed harder against her clit. “Ollie!” she gasped. Chloe was close; she could feel her inner muscles pulsating around Oliver’s fingers. “So close,” she sobbed as her eyes slammed shut.

 

"It's okay to let go," Oliver told her. He pinched her clit between this fingers and then rubbed circles over it again, alternating between the two as he continued the steady rhythm of his fingers inside of her. Oliver's eyes were on her face, wanting to watch her lose control for him.

 

Chloe couldn’t take it anymore. The next time Oliver pinched her clit sent her over the edge. Heat filled her body as she arched back against the wall and cried out Oliver’s name. Her inner walls clamped down around his fingers as pleasure surged inside of her making Chloe shake in his arms. She continued moving her hips into him, small noises tumbling from her lips as Oliver’s finger’s continued moving in and out of her body drawing out her orgasm. The sheer force of her orgasm making her legs clench tighter around Oliver.

 

Oliver kept moving his fingers inside of her, helping her draw out the orgasm. Once he felt her inner walls starting to relax, he pulled his hand back slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. "That was incredibly hot. You're incredibly hot," he said before lowering his head and kissing her.

 

Chloe cupped his cheek and returned the kiss, moving her mouth over his until air became an issue. She rested her forehead against his a smile pulling at her lips while brushing he thumb over his cheek. "Amazing," she whispered against his skin as she pressed a kiss to his jaw.

 

"You have no idea how long I've been thinking about this," Oliver admitted as he brushed his fingers across her cheek. He wasn't even sure he knew how long his subconscious had been creating these scenarios. His feelings for Chloe were a lot deeper than he'd realized.

 

Chloe’s expression softened, “Me too,” even though she hadn’t realized it until now. Chloe’s breathing was finally slowing down and she leaned into him and brushed her lips against his. “I want you, Oliver.” She said her words soft as she let her fingers slide against his skin.

 

"I want you too," Oliver said. He'd never wanted anyone or anything more in his entire life. "But not here." He placed his hands on her hips, keeping her body against his as he carried her down the hall to her bedroom, gently setting her down on the bed. He'd waited far too long to be with her for it to be quick.

 

Chloe took a deep breath as she shifted on the soft comforter beneath her. She sat at the edge of the bed, feet on the floor as she let her gaze fall from Oliver’s face and traveled over his body, lingering on his chest. Chloe’s eyes darkened and she leaned forward, gripped the waist of his pants and tugged him closer pressing a light kiss above his navel.

 

Chloe shifted again lifting herself up enough to run her mouth over his abdominal muscles, letting her teeth graze his skin gently. Her eyes finally found his and she bit her lower lips, her cheeks warming slightly. “I’ve always wanted to do that,” she whispered while splaying her hands across his skin, the feel of his muscles clenching beneath her skin making a wave of arousal ignite inside of her again.

 

"Jesus, are you trying to kill me?" Oliver teased. His arousal had become painful at that point and he was pretty sure the feel of her mouth on his skin had made stars dance in front of his eyes. He sat down on the bed beside her, reaching out to cup her cheek before he leaned in and kissed her slowly.

 

Oliver slid his hand along her spine until he found her bra clasp and popped it open before breaking the kiss and removing the garment completely. His eyes darkened as they roamed over her. "You're gorgeous," he whispered before leaning in and placing a kiss against her heartbeat.

 

Chloe sucked in a sharp breath at the feel of his lips against her skin. Her heartbeat was once again slamming against her chest and she wouldn’t be surprised if Oliver could hear it. “Yeah?” she asked softly as she let her hands fall to his belt. “I think you pretty gorgeous too,” she said softly trying not to think too hard about the fact that she was half naked in front of Oliver.

 

"Good to know," Oliver said as he slid his hands down her side until he reached the waistband of her skirt, He tugged it down, letting it fall to the floor before he dipped his head and licked her nipple before gently sucking it into his mouth.

 

Chloe gasped and arched into Oliver’s mouth, a shiver going through her body at the feel of his warm mouth closing over her nipple. Her hand immediately went to his head threading through his soft hair, holding him to her breast. “I love you mouth,” she said, her tone breathy as she shifted back and pulled him closer to her with her free hand. “God, that feels good.”

 

Oliver smiled against her skin and then moved his mouth to her other breast, giving it the same treatment. He slipped his hand between her legs, teasing her slit with his fingers and making her jump. "I love the way you respond to me," he told her, meeting her gaze. "It's so hot."

 

Chloe’s body warmed beneath his touch and her breathing hitched in the back of her throat as need curled in her lower belly. “How could I not respond?” She asked, a soft moan falling from her throat as she shifted her legs further apart for him.

 

Chloe tugged at his belt lightly before working it open. She wanted him, more than she’d ever wanted anyone. She couldn’t believe how her body was responding to him. “Ollie please, I want you.” She whimpered as she trapped his hand between her legs.

 

"I want you too," Oliver said. He gently pulled his hand free and used it to tug her panties out of the way. His heart pounded against the wall of his chest as anticipation moved through his veins. He was aching to be inside of her. He shifted and started to remove the rest of his clothing.

 

Chloe bit her lower lip and shifted onto her knees pushing Oliver’s hand away from his pants as she kneeled naked in front of him on her bed while he stood in front of her. “I want to do it,” she said softly as she unbuckled his belt and pulled it slowly out of the loops.

 

Chloe tossed it aside as she gripped the metal of his zipper between her fingers and tugged it down. She slid her hands to his hips and pushed the material down until he was standing there in his boxer briefs. Chloe could feel her pulse quicken and she tugged down his boxer briefs before her nerves could change her mind.

 

Chloe met Oliver’s gaze as she slid her hand down his stomach until she reached his hardened cock. Chloe hesitantly wrapped her hand around him and stroked him slowly, dragging her hand up and down his shaft. “Come closer,” she whispered.

 

Oliver groaned, closing his eyes for a moment as he enjoyed the feeling of her warm hand wrapped around him. Then he did as she asked and moved onto the bed, stretching out beside her before leaning in to kiss her again. Despite his arousal, Oliver took his time, moving his mouth slowly over hers and then deepening the kiss as he brushed his thumb across her nipple, enjoying the feeling of it hardening beneath his fingers.

 

He slipped his other hand between her legs once more, stroking her wet heat. Her body was tight and he wanted to make sure that she was ready for him. The last thing Oliver wanted to do after waiting all of this time was cause her any pain.

 

Chloe cupped his cheek and returned the kiss as her hips rocked into his hand, her legs parting for him as she broke the kiss and let out a soft moan. The feel of his slightly callused palm against her breast and the heat from his body made desire stir inside of her. “Ollie I need you now,” she said as she drew him closer to her body and captured his lips in a soft kiss.

 

Oliver returned the kiss, shifting himself so that his body was positioned between her legs. He took his cock in his hand and positioned himself at her entrance. Oliver broke the kiss, watching her face as he slowly slid inside of her. He kept himself steady, wanting to give her time to adjust to his presence before he started moving.

 

Chloe sucked in a deep breath tensing beneath him as she hooked one leg around his hip to spread her body wider. Chloe ran her hand down his back as she did her best to get used to the feel of him inside of her. “Sorry,” she whispered as she met his gaze, “Just give me another minute,” she said softly as her hand slipped down his chest and over his abdominal muscles before winding around to his lower back.

 

Chloe swallowed hard as she shifted beneath him, rocking her hips into his and tilting her head back as he stretched her inner walls. “Ollie,” Chloe moved her hips again as she lifted her head from the pillow and captured his lips in a hungry kiss.

 

Oliver returned the kiss, doing his best to keep still even as she started moving beneath him. He deepened the kiss and then slowly moved his hips against hers, keeping his thrusts shallow as he felt her body starting to relax. Oliver broke the kiss, meeting her gaze as he moved a little faster. "You feel so good, Chloe."

 

Chloe slid her hand down Oliver’s back, her fingertips brushing lightly against his skin as he thrust inside of her making a quiet moan tumble from her throat. “You too,” she gasped. “I’ve been waiting for this since the first time you kissed me,” she admitted as she lifted her hips from the mattress and he thrust down into her.

 

Chloe’s head tilted back against the pillow, pleasure coursing through her veins as she enjoyed the feel of him sliding in and out of her creating a delicious friction that she could feel all the way down in her toes.

 

"Me too," Oliver replied. He started moving faster, knowing he wasn't going to be able to last as long as he wanted to; he'd waited too long for this and he was completely turned on. "I never thought this would happen," he admitted as he slipped his hand between them and rubbed his thumb over her clit. Oliver shifted above her so he could thrust into her at a different angle, allowing him to go deeper.

 

Chloe cried out, her body moving in time with Oliver’s. She could feel the pressure building in her lower belly as he continued moving in and out of her body. It took Chloe a second to decipher his words as her nails ran down Oliver’s back, “Why? I’ve wanted you for a – oh god, yes,” Chloe’s body jerked up beneath him as he hit a spot inside of her that she hadn’t know existed.

 

Chloe’s eyes slid shut as a light sheen of sweat coated her naked body. Her grip on Oliver tightened, her moans growing louder as he continued rubbing her clit while thrusting into her faster than before.

 

Her words were lost beneath the sound of his heartbeat echoing between his ears. Oliver could already feel himself getting close, but he wanted to make sure Chloe got there first. He shifted again, changing the angle once more as he moved steadily inside of her. Oliver pinched her clit between his fingers, his eyes never leaving hers as her muscles tightened around him. "Let go for me, Chloe," he urged as he slammed his hips against hers.

 

Chloe panted beneath him, her inner muscles fluttering around his cock as pleasure threatened to overwhelm her. Chloe couldn’t remember sex ever being like this. Oliver made thought practically incoherent as he thrust inside of her over and over again, his fingers working her clit as his warm mouth moved against her skin.

 

Chloe could hear the noises falling from her throat and the way her body trembled beneath his she knew she was close, teetering over the edge. Oliver pinched her clit one more time and it sent Chloe careening over the edge, crying out his name loudly as her body arched up into his.

 

Her inner walls clamped down on his cock, squeezing and clenching around it as she came harder than before, her body shaking with the force of her orgasm.  “Oh god,” she moaned while clutching tighter to his body as he continued moving inside of her making small desperate noises fall from her throat as Oliver drew out her orgasm.

 

Oliver continued moving inside of her, enjoying the feeling of her muscles tightening around him as her orgasm overtook her. He thrust into her again and that was all it took to lose what was left of his self-control. His release hit him hard; her name falling from his lips as his body shook against hers. Spent, Oliver buried his face in her neck, breathing heavy against her damp skin as stars swam in front of his eyes. "Incredible," he whispered before he closed his eyes and just clung to her like his life depended on it.

 

Chloe ran one hand through his hair as the other traveled down along his back and the up again as she held him to her, not caring the he was heavy or warm. She liked feeling the pressure of his body against hers. "Ollie," she said softly and when he made a noise signaling that he was listening she continued. "Promise you on the leave me, the this is going to work." She said softly needing to hear it.

 

"I would never leave you by choice," Oliver assured her. He shifted a little so all of his body weight wasn't on her, but stayed close, not wanting to let go of her just yet. Oliver leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss against her lips. "You mean more to me than I could ever say."

 

Chloe cupped his cheek and shifted so she was draped against his chest, her skin pressed tightly against  his. "You mean a lot more than I realized." She replied, "Everything even." Chloe hugged him tighter. "I'm not going anywhere either. " She promised. 

 

"Good to know," Oliver said. He tightened his grip on her once again and closed his eyes, letting himself relax. He hadn't expected this to happen, but he was happy it had. Being with Chloe was something he'd wanted for a long time and now that he finally was, he had no intention of letting her go.


	7. Chapter 7

Tess stood at the terminal in Watchtower, reading the latest file Victor had sent. The mission in Russia was going well, but it sounded like he was going to need back up soon. The sound of the double doors opening caught her attention. "Chloe, have you read this report?" she asked.

 

"Sorry, wrong cousin," Lois replied. Her heels clicked as she crossed the room. "Does that mean that Chloe's not here? I've been trying to call her, but she won't return my calls."

 

"Mine either, which is why I decided to come here," Tess replied. She hadn't heard from Chloe since the other woman had bugged Oliver's phone and that had been a few days earlier. "Do you think we should be worried?"

 

Lois shook her head. "Chloe is good at lying low when she wants to, but she'll come here sooner or later. Why are you still here?" Before Tess had a chance to answer, the sound of the doors opening echoed through the room once again and both women turned in that direction.

 

Chloe stepped into watchtower a cup of coffee in hand and froze when she glanced up and spotted Tess and Lois standing near the computer console in Watchtower. Chloe had gone out not long ago to grab a coffee since the coffeemaker had broken down the other day. She arched an eyebrow as she walked further into the room, “What’s up, I didn’t realize you guys would be here,” she said lightly as she took a sip of her coffee.

 

"Maybe because you never return any phone calls," Lois replied. She sent a smile in her cousin's direction as she crossed her arms over her chest. "What's going on, Chlo?" Lois figured her cousin had some new secret she was hiding. It was the only reason she ever went incommunicado.

 

Chloe shrugged avoiding her cousin’s gaze. “Not much, just busy trying to find a different angle to work so we can get our hands on that computer and all the other stuff Oliver’s been shadily hiding,” Chloe said lightly. She’d spent the last couple of days with Oliver at his apartment and it was possible that she’d let a few calls go to voicemail because she wasn’t exactly sure how to tell them what was going on.

 

"Is that what the kids are calling it these days?" Lois quipped. She rolled her eyes and turned to Tess. "Maybe you can try and get some honest answers out of her since she clearly doesn't plan on telling me anything." She didn't give Tess a chance to speak before she addressed Chloe again. "Have you made any progress with Ollie?"

 

Chloe kept her gaze on the computer screen and fought back a smirk. Oh, she’d made some progress alright, just not the kind her cousin was referring to. "No, nothing solid yet, but I think I'm getting a little closer to the communications with these people that he’s hiding from me," she said, which Chloe hopped was true. "What about you Tess? Any new information coming through? I think he’s in our system somehow and that’s how he keeps getting the drop on us,” she explained while glancing between her cousin and her friend.

 

Tess shook her head. "I was just going over Vic's report. He's going to need help soon. Maybe AC or Bart could go. I don't have anything new on Oliver, although he hasn't come to work for the past two days. He's been checking his messages, but he hasn't been in the office. That's not uncommon, but I don't know what's keeping him busy or if we should be worried."

 

 

Chloe cleared her throat and nodded wondering if her face looked as warm as it felt. She avoided eye contact with both women and kept her gaze firmly on the screen. “I’ll send a message to Bart and have him go meet up with Victor since he can get there faster than AC,” she said lightly, “And as far as Oliver goes we probably shouldn’t start worrying too much about the last two days until he gives us a reason to worry you know? I mean aside from the obvious,” she added.

 

"You mean the part where he's actively working against us," Lois commented. The fact that Chloe wasn't making eye contact with either of them did not go unnoticed. She just wasn't sure where her cousin's head was at. She opened her mouth, but didn't get a chance to say anything before the double doors swung open and Oliver worked in.

 

"Ladies," Oliver greeted them before his gaze found Chloe and he smiled. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

 

Chloe turned and arched an eyebrow at Oliver as she placed her cup of coffee on the computer console. “So, changing the access codes wasn’t enough to convince you that you weren’t wanted here?” She asked a hint of humor dancing in her eyes as she caught his gaze. “Should I be a little more extreme when I’m attempting to send a message?” She inquired though if she was being honest she was glad to see him.

 

Last night was the first night she’d spent at her apartment since going back to Metropolis with Oliver two days prior.

 

Oliver laughed. "We both know you don't really want to keep me out or you wouldn't have made them so easy for me to decipher. But I can't stay long. I actually have a meeting that I can't be late for or Tess will keep leaving angry messages on my voicemail." He laughed again when Tess shot him a dirty look, but Oliver kept his attention on Chloe. "I brought you this." He handed her the briefcase he was holding.

 

Curiosity filled her gaze as she took a step toward him closing some of the distance between them and taking the briefcase. “What’s this?” She asked even as she opened it up to look inside. Surprise crossed Chloe’s face and she glanced up at Oliver. “This is the computer,” she stated uncertainty coloring her features as she studied his expression. “Why are you giving this to me?” She asked softly the urge to move closer to him and kiss him strong.

 

"You asked for it, remember?" Oliver winked at her. "I really do have to go, but I'll call you later. Maybe you'll actually answer this time," he added before he turned and headed for the doors. "Enjoy your day, ladies."

 

Tess and Lois exchanged a glance, each wondering what had just happened. Lois spoke first. "What the hell was that? Is that really the computer that he stole before you could get to it? Why would he give that to you?" she demanded.

 

Chloe watched him going a soft smile on her lips before she shook herself out of her thoughts and turned to face Lois and Tess. “It is,” she confirmed as she looked up at Lois and Tess. “Because he likes me,” she said simply as she pulled out the hard drive from the briefcase and went over to hook it up to their systems, a full-fledged grin covering her face.

 

"I'd say he more than likes you," Lois commented. "Do you think he's getting back to normal?" she asked hopefully. Lois still had no idea what had made Oliver switch sides in the first place, but she would be more than happy to put the whole thing behind them.

 

Chloe connected the hard drive to their system as she shook her head. “No, he hasn’t.” She said as she glanced over her shoulder at them. “Ollie and I have sort of been seeing each other,” Chloe said, “It’s not a big deal, but I’m pretty sure that’s why he gave this to us.” She explained.

 

"According to Hal, something has been going on between the two of your for awhile," Tess commented. "Why would he bring this now? How can you be sure he's not back to normal?" she asked curiously.

 

Chloe pursed her lips. “It’s complicated,” she said as she started a diagnostic on the hard drive before turning fully around and shifting so her back was leaning against the computer console. “If Oliver was back to normal the first thing he would have done when he walked in here was apologize,” she said pointedly.

 

“And Oliver might have spent the last two days with me, which is why he’s been so quiet,” Chloe explained not giving any more detail than necessary.

 

"Interesting," Tess commented. She decided that was all she was going to say on that matter because it wasn't really her business what Chloe and Oliver did in their spare time. "I should be going too. Now that Oliver is back to work, I have things to do as well. Let me know if you find anything useful. Lois," she added before heading for the door.

 

"Tess," Lois relied. She watched her walk away before turning to Chloe. "So you and Ollie spent some naked time together and he's on his way to coming back to the good side. I'd say you can call that a win, cuz."

 

Chloe flushed bright red, “Lois!” She said the embarrassment clear in her voice. “It’s not like that,” she said her words flustered. “We did spend time together, but no one said it was naked time. We had dinner…watched a movie,” Chloe’s words trailed off, “Why are you grinning like that?”

 

"Because I'm not a moron," Lois replied. "I don't believe for one second the two of you were just hanging out. Your face is much too red for that and Ollie came in here cockier than ever. Don't get me wrong; it's great that you two are finally acting on whatever it is that's between you, but I don't want to see you get hurt."

 

Chloe smiled, “I appreciate your concern, but I’m not going to get hurt. Ollie and I are on the same page.” She told her cousin matter-of-factly. “I really care about him Lois and I’m going to find a way to fix whatever happened to him and when I do, things will be fine.” Chloe said softly. “We just need to figure it out soon, because I miss my partner in crime…minus the actual crime,” she joked.

 

Lois laughed. "I'm glad things are going well, Chlo." But she couldn't help worrying that this wasn't as cut and dry as her cousin wanted it to be. Lois just hoped that they would be able to figure out what was wrong with Oliver before it was too late.

 

______

 

 

Chloe stood in Oliver’s elevator anxiously tapping her heel against the ground as she waited for it to reach his penthouse apartment. It was just after seven at night and she’d spent the day going over the information on the hard drive Oliver had given her. Like Chloe thought, the computer was definitely the way to go. She got a ton of leads off of it, plus she was pretty sure that she found the guy who linked all three of their bad guys together.

 

It had been an incredibly productive day. The elevator finally jerked to a stop and Chloe lifted the gate and stepped into the apartment, her heels clicking loudly against the floor. “Ollie, are you home?” She called out as she unbuttoned her jacket and rested it on the back of one of the chairs before smoothing out her blouse.

 

"I'll be right down," Oliver called back. He'd just gotten home from the office and had been in the process of changing. He shed his jacket and tie, but left the rest of his clothes in place and headed down the stairs. Oliver smiled when he spotted Chloe. "Hey, this is even better than a phone call," he teased.

 

Chloe smirked, “I thought it might be,” she teased lightly as she took a few steps towards him. “Hi,” she said softly while reaching out resting a hand on his chest. “It’s possible I might have missed you today. Any chance you’ve got some time for me tonight?” Chloe asked wondering if he had anywhere to be and if he did where.

 

"I definitely missed you today and I always have time for you," Oliver replied. He leaned down and pressed a brief kiss to her lips before pulling back to meet her gaze. "I just got home so I was going to order dinner and then spend the rest of the night in the training room. But I'd much rather spend it with you."

 

Chloe’s expression softened at his words. “That’s a long day,” she commented as she slid her hands up his chest and then pressed herself against him. “I could eat.” Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck as she caught his gaze. “Feel like getting dinner for two?”

 

"That can be arranged." Oliver wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her closer. "How come it was a long day? Is everything okay?" he asked.

 

Chloe angled her head back to get a better look at his face, “Everything is great. I meant that’s a long day for you. It’s already after seven and you’re just getting home.” She explained. “Also do you have any idea how helpful that computer was?” She asked a warm smile pulling at her lips. “Thank you Ollie, for giving it to me.” She said softly as she brushed a soft kiss to his jaw.

 

"You know I've never been good at saying 'no' to you," Oliver reminded her. He slid his hand into her hair, keeping his other hand on her hip. "The meetings were long and miserable, but let's not talk about that." He dipped his head and trailed his lips along her neck.

 

Chloe tilted her head to the side giving Oliver better access to her neck. “Is that so?” She asked a grin pulling at her lips, “I hadn’t noticed,” she said lightly, a soft sigh falling from her lips at the feel of warm mouth moved over her skin. “I’m sorry your day was miserable,” Chloe said finally, “But I’m hoping I can make it better.” She said softly as she let her hands trail down his shirt with a tug.

 

"Liar," Oliver whispered against her skin. "I think you know exactly what kind of effect you have on me. And you're already making things better just being here." He moved toward the couch, tugging her with him and pulling her onto his lap when he sat down. "What about you? Things seemed a little tense at Watchtower this morning. Or was that just because I showed up?" he asked.

 

Chloe settled on his lap and let her hands fall to his shoulder, “It was mostly you,” she teased, but the truth was Lois and Tess weren’t sure how to act around him and neither did Chloe sometimes, though things had been better lately. “We’re doing some research and it wasn’t yielding results until recently,” she explained, “Which is probably the tension you felt.”

 

Oliver nodded. "Tess hasn't been talking to me much other than to leave demands on my voicemail. I think she's taking Hal's side." He shrugged, not really bothered by that. "And I imagine Lois isn't thrilled that you're spending so much time with me in my current state. I know she worries about you."

 

Chloe nodded, “She does worry,” she said as she brushed her thumb over Oliver’s lip. “But she trusts my decisions and she knows being with you makes me happy.” She explained with a smile.

 

"Is that so?" Oliver asked. He pressed a kiss to her thumb. "That's good to know because you make me happy too. Now should we order dinner? Do you have any preferences?" he asked.

 

Chloe sat back slightly as her hands played with the buttons of his shirt. "Chinese, if you're good with that," she said knowing it was his favorite. Chloe popped open a button and then another. "I was thinking we could order in a little while, unless of course you're starving." Chloe said as she dipped her head and pressed a kiss to his collar bone while her fingers continued to unbutton his shirt.

 

"Food is the last thing on my mind," Oliver replied honestly as he enjoyed the feeling of her lips on his skin. "I missed you last night," he added as he twirled a piece of her hair around his fingers. It had been the first night in days where she hadn't been in bed with him and he'd missed having her in his arms even more than he'd imagined he would.

 

Chloe parted the material of his shirt and sat up on his lap, her gaze dropping down to his chest. “I missed you too,” she said softly as she dipped her head again and pressed a kiss above his nipple. “I like spending the night with you,” Chloe admitted.

 

She enjoyed the way she fit in his arms and feeling the warmth of his body against hers. “Have I mentioned how thankful I am for your help earlier?” She asked arching an eyebrow and tilting her head up so she could meet his gaze.

 

 "You don't have to keep saying that," Oliver told her. He brushed his fingers over her cheek. "I still don't think there's any point in trying to make a difference when nothing is going to change, but I know it's important to you so I wanted to help. Let's just leave it at that."

 

Chloe paused in her actions and glanced up at Oliver her expression soft, “That’s exactly why I’m thanking you,” she said as she reached up and cupped his cheek. “You went against what you’ve been doing and you did it for me,” she brushed her thumb over his cheek, “That means the world to me Oliver.” Chloe leaned in and brushed her lips against his before trailing them down and over his jaw.

 

"Maybe you should just get it through your head that I would do anything for you," Oliver replied. He turned his head and captured her mouth beneath his, kissing her slowly as he shifted her body on his lap so she was pressed more intimately against him. Oliver ran his hand over her back, slipping it beneath her shirt so he could caress her bare skin.

 

Chloe made a soft noise against his lips at the change in positions and rocked against him slowly, the feel of him pressed against her center making arousal spark inside of her. Chloe returned Oliver’s kiss cupping his cheek only breaking it when air became an issue. She met his gaze, her thumb brushing against his skin. “I’d do anything for you too,” she whispered, “You know that don’t you?” She asked while slipping her hand down his body and between them so she could work on getting his belt open.

 

"I do," Oliver said. He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose and then smiled at her, trying to get away from the serious mood that had slipped into the room. He toyed with the hem of her shirt for a moment and then tugged it up and over her head, tossing it aside. Oliver trailed his mouth over her neck and down to her collarbone as he teased her breasts with his hands, brushing his thumbs over her nipples until they hardened.

 

Chloe moaned arching into his touch as her nipples tightened. Her breathing picked up speed and she swallowed hard as she finally got his belt undone. “You’re distracting me,” she said doing her best to keep her breathing steady. Chloe’s eyes fluttered and her head automatically tilted to the side as his mouth moved across her skin.

 

She pulled down the zipper of his pants and bit her lower lip as she slid her hand into his pants brushing against his hardened shaft. “Someone’s happy to see me,” she joked as her hand found its way inside of Oliver’s boxer briefs.

 

Oliver was tempted to call her out on the cheesy line, but he was much too distracted by the feeling of her hand on him. "I didn't realize that I was distracting you," he commented as he did his best to keep his breathing under control even though he was becoming more aroused by the second. "Did you have something in mind that I'm keeping you from?" He met her gaze as he brushed his thumb across her nipple again.

 

Chloe’s breathing hitched in her throat, her stomach clenching as her hand curled around his cock. “As a matter of fact I do,” she said as she dipped her head and nipped lightly at his jaw. Chloe trailed her lips to his ear and spoke, warm breath hitting his skin, “I’m going to need you to push my skirt out of the way, think you can handle that hero?” The familiar nickname slipping out without a second thought.

 

Oliver raised an eyebrow, not used to Chloe taking control. But it was incredibly hot and he was not complaining. "I think I can manage that. He pushed her skirt up over her thighs and then lifted it higher, bunching the material around her waist. "Now what?" he asked.

 

Chloe studied his expression noting the darkness in his eyes and she shifted her hand stroking him. “My bra,” she said her words soft, “Take it off?” She said her words coming out as more of a question than a command. Chloe wasn’t used to be so vocal when it came to sex, but Oliver made her feel comfortable enough to step out of her shell.

 

Oliver ran his hand over her back, catching the clasp between his fingers. He popped it open and then removed the straps from her shoulder, sliding them down her arms and pulling the garment away from her chest, tossing it on the floor as well. He let his gaze move over her, swallowing hard as his cock throbbed beneath in her hand. "What else do you want?" he asked.

 

Desire burned inside of Chloe as she stroked him again setting a slow steady pace. Her body felt warm as her heart beat rapidly in her chest. It took Chloe a minute to speak through the haze of arousal surrounding her. “Touch me,” she moaned while brushing her thumb over the head of his cock.

 

"I'd be happy to," Oliver told her. He watched her face as he leaned in and slowly ran his tongue along the curve of her breast. He brought his hand to its twin, teasing her nipple with his fingers once again as he closed his mouth over the peak, sucking lightly. He slipped his free hand between her legs, stroking her slit and letting out a soft groan when he felt how wet she was.

 

Chloe arched above him a gasp leaving her throat as his finger pressed against her panties, her hand tightening around him. “God Ollie,” she moaned her body squirming above him, her hand caught between them. One of Chloe’s hands threaded through his hair holding him to her breast. She couldn’t take it anymore; Chloe needed him inside of her. “I want you,” she moaned and shifted slightly so she was raised just a bit, her knees on either side of him. “Move my panties, I need you inside of me,” she breathed.

 

Oliver groaned. "You have no idea how hot you are," he told her matter-of-factly as he did as she asked and brought his hands to her panties. He snapped the elastic and pulled the material away from her body before grabbing her hips and shifting her so the tip of his cock was brushing against her entrance. But Oliver kept his body steady, letting her take the lead once more.

 

Chloe felt her cheeks warm at his comment, but the incessant need burning inside of her kept her from being embarrassed for too long. She gripped the base of his cock holding him steady momentarily as she pushed her body down, sucking in a sharp breath as the head of his cock slipped inside her body.

 

Chloe’s hands shifted and she gripped his shoulders before thrusting her body down hard on him in one stroke. A small noise left her throat and her fingers gripped him tighter as he stretched her inner walls. “God,” she moaned as she stilled in his lap. “Do you have any idea what this feel like?” She asked softly her breath hitting his ear as she rocked against him slowly, desire burning in her lower belly.

 

"Incredible," Oliver answered. He kept his hands on her hips, helping her set a steady pace as she moved over him. "And the viewing is amazing from here," he teased before leaning in and capturing her nipple in his mouth once more. He loved the way it felt to be inside of her, to be connected to her this way and to feel her moving with him. He'd never experienced anything better in his life and he knew he never would.

 

Chloe gasped arching her upper body and pressing her breast against his mouth. She gripped the back of his head as she used her legs to lift herself off of him and then slide back down, her pace increasing as pleasure grew inside of her. Chloe nodded, “Yes, incredible,” her breathing was coming in short panting breaths as she moved faster over him, her muscles burning with the movement.

 

“Is it stupid that this feels right?” She asked before a moan tumbled from her throat, “That having you inside of me makes me complete? Like right here is where I always want to be?” She asked her eyes fluttering shut as she tried to control the noises coming from her mouth.”

 

"That's how I feel too." Oliver lifted his head to meet her gaze as he slipped his hand between them and rubbed his thumb over her clit. "All I want is to be with you, Chloe. Nothing else has ever been like this." He shifted back to lean against the couch, changing the angle of their position as Chloe came down on him again. He loved the feeling of her hot, tight body wrapped around him.

 

But it was her words that really stirred something inside of him; something he'd known but hadn't been ready to face. He still wasn't sure he was fully ready to acknowledge everything he was feeling. Instead, Oliver concentrated on what was happening in the moment. He continued to tease her clit as he trailed his mouth over her breasts.

 

Chloe gasped his name her movements growing more erratic as the pressure in her lower belly grew even more intense. “Oh god Ollie,” her eyes slammed shut as she continued bouncing in his laps, the feel of his finger against her clit making loud moans drop from her mouth. “Please, please,” she begged as her hand tightened in his hair, his warm mouth against her nipple making pleasure fill her.

 

Chloe was close, she could feel herself floating on the edge and she ground down harder against him trying to increase the friction against their bodies. “Yes,” she moaned while arching against him again.

 

He moved beneath her, his hips meeting hers each time she came down on him. Oliver could feel how close she was, her muscles tightening around his cock as her inner walls pulsated, but something was keeping her from going over the edge. Oliver shifted their positions again, taking some of the control from her as he continued teasing her clit. "I can feel how close you are." He slammed his hips against hers and pinched the bundle of nerves between his fingers. "Just let go for me, Chloe, let go," he urged.

 

Chloe let out a soft sob, the sensations Oliver was creating inside of her finally too much and the next time he pinched her clit she came hard her body pressing against his as her inner muscles clamped down on his cock, squeezing and pulsating around him. Chloe held onto Oliver as her body shook with pleasure, soft noises tumbling from her throat as her hips jerked against his. “Ollie hold me,” she moaned as she squeezed her legs against his hips as her knees sunk into the cushions.

 

Oliver wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against him as he continued to move inside of her. He felt her inner walls squeezing him and that was all it took to send him over the edge. He came hard, calling out her name as his body shuddered. Spent, Oliver leaned against the couch, breathing hard as he held onto Chloe like his life depended on it.

 

Chloe breathed heavily as she clutched his body to hers, pressing her naked chest flush against his. She turned her head and pressed a kiss to the skin beneath his ear. “That was amazing,” she whispered as she rested against him giving her body time to catch its breath. Chloe was silent for a minute, “It’s never been like this for me,” she admitted quietly as she let her hand play with the back of his hair.

 

“You make me feel comfortable, like I can do anything and you won’t judge me for it.” Chloe swallowed hard, “I didn’t know it could be this easy to be so open with someone…I just wanted you to know that the way I am with you, well I’ve never been this way with anyone else.”

 

Oliver smiled, touched by her admission. He knew it had never been easy for Chloe to let anyone in and she wasn't one to make herself vulnerable. "I've never been open with anyone the way I have with you either." Sex had never been emotional for him, not really. He'd certainly never cared about anyone or felt connected to someone the way he did with Chloe. "It means a lot that you didn't give up on me."

 

Chloe’s heart warmed at his words. “Never,” Chloe said knowing she’d never give up on Oliver. She shifted on his lap and made a face. “We should probably get cleaned up before we order dinner.” Chloe commented while sitting up so she could see his face. She cupped his cheek and brushed her thumb over the skin there. “And you should let me borrow something to wear because you kinda like me,” she teased.

 

Oliver sighed like it was a huge chore, but he couldn't keep the smile off his face. "I think that can be arranged." He brushed his nose against hers and then placed a kiss to her lips. "Dinner sounds like a good idea now that we've worked up an appetite." He winked at her and then stood up, keeping Chloe in his arms as he moved toward the stairs.


	8. Chapter 8

Chloe paced the length of Watchtower’s main room, phone in hand as she called Oliver’s cell phone for the third time that afternoon. She was worried. Oliver had gone out of town on business on Friday and he was supposed to be back Late Wednesday night, early Thursday morning and here she was Friday afternoon and Oliver still wasn’t back in town.

 

Chloe was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of Oliver’s voicemail in her ear. She let out a frustrated sigh and disconnected the call. Chloe could feel the anxiety bubbling up in her stomach as fear settled in her chest. Where was he? Why wasn’t he answering his phone? Maybe his meetings had gone on longer than expected?

 

Chloe swallowed hard. He’d been texting her up until Wednesday afternoon when he went into his last meeting and then she hadn’t heard from him since. Chloe pursed her lips and glanced at her phone again. She pressed the preset for Tess’s number and then brought the phone to her ear and waited for the other woman to answer.

 

Tess was sitting behind her desk in her spacious Star City office when her cell phone buzzed. She considered ignoring it, assuming it was Hal trying to pester her into taking the afternoon off. He'd already asked twice since he was suspended at the moment for pulling some crazy stunt. But she was busy and she didn't have time; something he needed to respect whether he liked it or not.

 

She reached for the phone to silence the call, but stopped when she saw Chloe's name flashing on the screen. Tess pushed the 'answer' button and brought it to her ear. "Hey Chloe," she answered.

 

“Hey,” Chloe paused when she heard the other woman’s voice. “This is going to sound strange, but do you know if the meetings Oliver had ran long or if he needed to stay an extra day or so for business stuff?” She asked before gnawing on her bottom lip. “He was supposed to be back late Wednesday night and he’s not back yet.” Chloe said the worry clear in her voice. “I’ve been calling and texting, but nothing. Have you heard from him?”

 

Tess frowned and turned to her computer, pulling up the meeting schedule calendar that linked her email and Oliver's. "That meeting ended when it was supposed to," she said. Tess opened another folder and checked the flight schedule. "According to the records, Oliver returned to Metropolis that night on the Queen jet."

 

“Are you sure?” Chloe asked quietly as she walked over to the desk and grabbed her bag before reaching for her jacket and yanking it on her body. “There’s no way he stayed?” She was already heading out of the double doors and into the hallway toward the elevator.

 

"Not unless he sent the plane back without him and Oliver doesn't do that unless he's trying to cover his tracks for a mission," Tess pointed out. She opened up another window and logged into the main server. "He hasn't used his access code at the office and it looks like his assistant has manually cleared his schedule. Do you want me to call her?" she asked.

 

Chloe shook her head even though Tess couldn’t see her. “No, I’m heading over to his apartment now, maybe he was just jet lagged or something,” but even as Chloe said the words she knew Oliver would have gotten in touch with her. There was no way he’d just ignore her calls and texts especially not after the last time he disappeared.

 

"Okay," Tess said. She recognized the doubt in Chloe's voice, but she didn't say anything. She knew the other woman wanted to handle things on her own and neither of them wanted to acknowledge the possibility that something had happened to Oliver. "Call me if you need anything else," she said.

 

The elevator doors slid shut and Chloe’s grip tightened on the phone. “I will,” she said before disconnecting the call and slipping the phone back into her purse. Chloe dug out her keys and tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the elevator to descend. She had no idea what was going on or if Oliver was okay, but she was going to find out, Chloe wasn’t going to lose him again.

 

______

 

Oliver let out a loud groan as he felt himself drifting toward consciousness. He tried to move and then thought better of it when every inch of his body seemed to protest the mere thought. Instead, he attempted to open his eyes; one was too swollen, but he managed to get the second one open and found himself staring at the ceiling. He was pretty sure he was in his apartment, but he definitely wasn't lying on anything comfortable.

 

He shifted again and hissed when the pain punished him once more. But he managed to catch a glimpse of the couch a few feet away. He vaguely remembered coming back into the apartment, stumbling out of the elevator and then landing hard on the floor. Apparently making it to the couch had been too much of an effort. Oliver wondered what time it was or what day it was. Everything felt heavy. Oliver let his eye close once more, not registering the sound of the elevator.

 

Chloe yanked up the gate and practically ran into the apartment. “Oliver?” She called out his name as she dropped her purse on the desk and shrugged out of her jacket, tossing that aside too. Chloe walked further into the apartment and her eyes widened when she spotted Oliver on the floor “Oh my god!”

 

Chloe ran into the living room and crashed to the ground beside him, her hand immediately going to his face gently cupping his cheek. “Oliver, please wake up, Ollie,” fear clutched at her chest as her heartbeat echoed in her ears.

 

"Chloe?" Oliver muttered, not sure if he was still awake or if he'd fallen into a dream. He assumed he had to be awake because he was in too much pain for it to be a dream.

 

Chloe nodded even though she wasn’t sure he could see the action. “I’m here, let me help you get to the couch,” she said relieved that he’d answered her in the first place. At least he wasn’t unconscious, she supposed that was something. “What happened Ollie?” She slipped her hand beneath his head as she moved the other one carefully to his waist to try and help him up.

 

"I'm not sure," Oliver replied. Any movement hurt, but he didn't want to watch her struggle. He managed to get up, leaning heavily on Chloe as he let her help him toward the couch. "I came home and someone was waiting for me." He frowned, trying to remember the details, but they weren't coming back to him.

 

“Here? In your apartment?” Chloe asked both confused and surprised. How would anyone be able to get past his security system? She helped him settle on the couch and then bit her lower lip. “Stay here, I’m going to grab a warm wash cloth and some Tylenol.” She told him not giving him a chance to answer before she was up and heading to his bathroom.

 

Chloe needed to keep herself busy. She grabbed the first aid kit, some Tylenol, and a warm wash cloth before heading back down the hallway and making her way to Oliver. Chloe carefully sat on the small sliver of couch beside Oliver. “I’m here,” she said again as she rested the cloth over his head. “Ollie what happened?” he asked softly, “Can you try to remember?”

 

"No," Oliver replied. "I didn't make it out of the parking garage." He'd gotten back from the airport and pulled into the garage, but the door had jammed. "I went to look at the door and that was when someone grabbed me and pushed me into a trunk."

 

Chloe's frown deepened. "They were waiting for you." She stated as she carefully wiped the blood off his face. Her heart clenched at his swollen eye and all she wanted to do was hold him and protect him and hurt whoever did this to him.

 

Chloe had a dozen questions, but she didn't want to overwhelm him at least not this very second. When Chloe finished cleaning off his face she got out the anticipated and some cotton balls. "This is probably going to sting, but I'll be as quick as I can." Chloe told him even as her mind started working on how she was going to catch the people who did this to him.

 

"Okay," Oliver agreed, figuring the pain couldn't be any worse than what he was already dealing with. He tried to remember more about what happened, but his mind was having trouble putting the pieces together. "Was I gone long?" he asked, attempting to figure out the timeline.

 

Chloe dabbed at the cuts on his face doing her best not to wince every time she saw a new one or a new bruise. "About a day and a half," she said keeping her voice calm. "I was worried, I should have come check your apartment sooner. I'm sorry I didn't." the realization that she had once again failed him made her chest tighten.

 

Chloe was convinced that whoever did this to him was the same person who kidnapped him those five months he was gone. And when she figured everything out she was going to make them pay. Chloe finished up with Oliver's face and quickly tossed the bloody cotton balls aside.

 

Chloe held out the Tylenol as as let her free hand run down his chest car fully checking for any damage. "Take these." She told him softly as she watched his face intently.

 

Oliver took the pills she gave him and then shifted a little, reaching out and taking her hand. "This isn't your fault, Chloe. I told you that there was a chance my meetings would run long." He hadn't had a chance to call her and let her know he was on the way home before he'd gotten on the plane.

 

Chloe squeezed his hand gently as she held his gaze knowing his words were true, but still not able to let go of the guilt completely. "Ollie, I need to know who did this," She said softly. "It was the same people who took you before wasn't it? Why did they do this?" She asked pain for him clearly written on her face.

 

"It doesn't matter," Oliver replied. He knew she wouldn't be satisfied with that answer, but he didn't want to tell her the truth either. He knew what that would do to her. "I'll be okay."

 

Chloe pursed her lips as she stared down at Oliver the crazy emotions that had been whirling inside of her since she thought Oliver was missing finally coming to a head. "Stop saying that! It matters Oliver everything matters," she said her voice louder than she intended.

 

"Do you have any idea what it would have done to me if anything happened to you?" She asked knowing that for once her words were selfish, but she couldn't seem to care.

 

Chloe cupped Oliver's good cheek. "You mean everything to me Oliver...everything. I need to know what happened. I need to know who did thus and whether or not you tell me won't stop me from finding out." She said matter-of-factly. "You know me well enough to know I'm not joking."

 

Oliver's chest tightened and it had nothing to do with the pain that seemed to be moving through every part of his body. He pulled Chloe closer to him, ignoring his injuries as he cupped her cheek. "I'm sorry. I never meant to scare you. I'd do anything for you, Chloe. You know that." He hesitated, not wanting to tell her the rest, but Oliver knew he had to; they didn't keep secrets.

 

"I stole something from the organization and this was their way of reminding me that they're not okay with that."

 

Chloe's heartbeat picked up speed. Oliver was finally opening up to her. "The organization? What organization?" She asked, but before Oliver could answer she was talking again. "These are the same people who took you before...I don't understand what did you stea-" Chloe's words cut off abruptly as realization filled her. "The computer?" She asked her voice barely a whisper.

 

"Yeah," Oliver confirmed. He hated the guilt he saw in her eyes and he hated the fact that he couldn't take it away even more. "I was supposed to bring it to a drop off location and I did." He'd been telling the truth when he'd told her that he didn't have it the night she'd come looking for it.

 

"But then I went back there and I stole it before they had a chance to erase the data. I was careful, but I guess I wasn't careful enough."

 

Chloe was silent for a minute and then leaned down and pressed a light kiss to his lips. "Thank you for finally being honest with me." she said softly as she brushed her thumb over his cheek. "I'm not going to let them hurt you again Oliver, we're going to fix this." Chloe told him her voice leaving. I room for argument.

 

He recognized the tone so he didn't say anything, but Oliver couldn't help thinking it was already too late for that. "Thanks for coming to check on me. I missed you," he added as he brushed his fingers over her cheek.

 

Chloe's expression softened. "I missed you too Ollie, so much." she admitted as she leaned into his touch. "I really want to get you into bed and change you out of these bloody clothes." She told him quietly, the sight making her stomach sink more than she'd liked.

 

"Do you think if I helped you, we could make it there? And then I'll get you some water and food...I'll take care of you."

 

"I can make it," Oliver said. The thought of climbing the stairs seemed daunting, but he didn't want to upset Chloe and he could see that she was bothered by the condition he was in. He shifted a little and planted his feet on the floor, waiting a moment to get his balance before he stood up. "Thanks, Sidekick."

 

Chloe reached under his arm and helped him out of the living room and up the stairs, “Any time Hero,” she said as they continued to move up the stairs at a slow pace. When they finally got to the top Chloe paused and sent Oliver a sideways glance. “You doing okay?” She asked even though she could tell he was in more pain than he was letting on.

 

"I'm okay. I've been through worse than this," Oliver replied truthfully. This wasn't the first beating he'd taken and he doubted it would be the last, given what they did. He frowned at that. He didn't really do the Green Arrow thing anymore, unless someone asked him to get something. That didn't seem right, but he couldn't really explain why.

 

Chloe caught his gaze, “I know you have, but that doesn’t mean I like seeing you this way,” she said as she guided him to his bedroom. “Come on, lay down and I’ll order some food.” She told him as they continued walking slowly to his bed. “You need your rest.” Chloe also needed to call Tess and let her know what was going on and see if she could tap into the security cameras in Oliver’s underground parking garage.

 

"Let me change first," Oliver replied. He started to unbutton his shirt, wincing at the movement, but he kept going until he was able to get it off. He stepped out of his shoes and the room seemed to spin around him so he took a seat on the edge of the bed and placed his head in his hands, "Just give me a minute."

 

Chloe’s chest constricted as she watched him. She shifted closer and pressed a kiss to the top of his head before cupping his cheeks and tilting his head up. “Why don’t you stay here and I’ll grab you a pair of sweats she said as her gaze dropped to his chest. Chloe sucked in a sharp breath when she saw the bruises there.

 

She wasn’t sure if she felt more guilty or angry, but the combination of those two emotions definitely wasn’t pleasant. Chloe was going to find the people responsible and make them pay. She brushed her finger against his cheek and then stepped away and walked over to his dresser to grab a pair of sweats.

 

Chloe held them up as she walked back over to the bed, “Are these good?”

 

"They're fine, thanks," Oliver said as he took the sweatpants from her and slowly changed the rest of his clothes. His body hurt, but some of the aspirin she'd given him was starting to kick in. He shifted back on the bed and leaned against the pillow. "Come here," he said, patting the spot next to him.

 

Chloe hesitated. "I don't want to hurt you," she said softly as she took a step closer to him, but didn't get on the bed just yet. "Plus you should eat," she added. Also knowing she had to call Tess, but not really wanting to leave Oliver's side.

 

"You're not going to hurt me," Oliver assured her as he held out his hand to her. "I can eat later. Right now, I just want to have a few quiet moments with my girlfriend."

 

Chloe's smile lit up her face and she beamed at Oliver, happiness filling her chest. "Some quiet time with your girlfriend huh?" she asked as she claimed carefully onto the bed beside him. "Your girlfriend is happy to oblige." She said softly as she laid beside him, rested a hand on his chest and pressed a light kiss to his lips.

 

Oliver returned the kiss, wrapping his arm around her the best he could before he pulled back and met her gaze. "Thanks for being here, Chloe."

 

Chloe cupped his cheek carefully. "There's nowhere else i'd rather be." She said honestly as she brushed her finger against his skin and cuddled up to him, perfectly content to stay in Oliver's arms as she could.

 

______

 

Oliver moved out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, pausing in front of the mirror to examine his injuries. Most of them were starting to heal. The swelling in his face had gone down and the bruises on his chest and face were turning bright colors, but they didn't look as terrible as they had before. He pulled on a pair of boxers and sweatpants, noting that his movements were getting easier. He wasn't going to be jumping off rooftops any time soon, but at least he wouldn't need help up and down the stairs any longer.

 

He grabbed a t-shirt, tugged it over his head and made his way down the hall toward the stairs. The sound of fingers moving rapidly against a keyboard made him smile as he headed downstairs. Chloe was sitting on the couch with her laptop, a familiar look of concentration on her face. "What's so interesting?" he asked.

 

Chloe blinked at the sound of Oliver’s voice and paused glancing away from her computer and at her boyfriend. She grinned, “Hey handsome, you’re awake,” she said lightly. “I’m just doing a little research, looking over some video footage.” She told him before glancing back at the screen. “How are you feeling? Chloe was glad to see that he looked a lot better.

 

"Better," Oliver replied. He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss before he took a seat on the couch beside her. "I'm getting steadier. I took a shower, got dressed, came downstairs and I don't need a nap so I think that's an improvement," he joked.

 

Chloe smirked and sent him a sideways glance. “It’s definitely an improvement, not that I minded helping you in the shower,” she commented with a spark of amusement in her eyes before turning back to face the computer. “I haven’t found anything just yet, but I’ve still got a lot of footage to go over.”

 

Oliver laughed. "Noted." He shifted closer to her on the couch, drapping his arm across the back as he looked over her shoulder at the computer. "What exactly are you looking for?" he asked.

 

“I’m looking for the people who took you,” Chloe explained, “You said you came home and they grabbed you in the parking garage.” Chloe pointed to the screen. “So I’m looking through all the footage so I can get a shot of their faces and run it through our recognition software.”

 

"Okay," Oliver said. He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, something nagging at him, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. "Did you tell anyone else what happened to me?" he asked. Chloe had been staying with him since the night she'd found him, but he assumed she'd probably talked to other members of the team.

 

Chloe passed through another few hours on the footage as she spoke. “I spoke to Tess and Lois,” she explained, “I wanted them to know what was going on in case we needed some help figuring things out. Why?” She asked as she glanced at him. “Is it okay that I told them?”

 

"Yeah, that's fine," Oliver replied. He hesitated for a moment, "Things have been weird with the team for awhile and I know why, but sometimes I miss the way things used to be," he admitted.

 

Chloe stopped what she was doing and turned her body so it was angled in Oliver’s direction. She rested her hand on his leg and her expression softened, “They’ve missed you too Ollie, so have I.” She admitted quietly. “I miss having you in my ear, guiding you around the city. It’s been so long.” She told him as she squeezed his leg gently. “But we’re gonna fix this, I promise.”

 

Oliver smiled at her, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "You seem pretty confident about that, Sidekick." He reached out and brushed his fingers over her cheek. "Thank you for taking care of me."

 

Chloe could see the doubt in his eyes and it made her chest tighten. She held his gaze and sent him half a smile. “I will always be here to take care of you Oliver.” She brushed her thumb over his hand, “You mean a lot to me.” She said simply, “I’m glad you’re finally being honest with me,” she admitted. “Now I can help you.”

 

"I've never lied to you," Oliver reminded her. There were things he'd kept to himself, things he still had to keep to himself, but he'd always made that clear to her. "I know you mean well, Chloe. But I don't think anything is going to change."

 

Chloe pursed her lips and sighed. “I know you haven’t, but you know what I mean.” She said pointedly. It hurt that he didn’t have more faith in her and the team, but she knew whatever was going on with him was the real problem. “Ollie, it’s going to change. I need you back,” she said softly, “I need you on my side. So I _will_ fix this.”

 

Oliver could see she was upset so he stopped himself from reminding her that he wasn't broken, not in the way that she was suggesting. He'd changed, but that was just something she was going to have to accept; something they both were going to have to accept. "I'm still here, Chloe," he said simply.

 

Chloe frowned, “I know you are, but at the same time you aren’t.” She paused trying to figure out how to explain what she meant. “I don’t know how to explain it, but ever since you came back you’re different Oliver. I mean is this really what you want to do?” She asked motioning towards his body, “You want to work with people who do this to you?”

 

"I'm not working with them," Oliver replied defensively. His hand went to his neck once again and that feeling was back; the one where something was missing, but he couldn't figure out what it was. "I don't know what to tell you." He hated that they kept coming to the same impasse, but he didn't know how to make it stop.

 

Chloe could tell that she’d hit a nerve and she did her best to keep her sigh to herself. “You don’t need to say anything its fine. Let’s just forget about it okay?” She said keeping her tone light. “Are you hungry? I can make you some eggs; I’m getting better at it. I made myself some earlier this morning and they were fully cooked this time.” She said brightly wanting to bring the subject back to more neutral grounds.

 

 

Oliver laughed in spite of everything. He knew she wasn't happy with him, but he appreciated that she was trying to hide it. He wished she didn't have to, but he didn't know how to fix things. "That sounds great. Are you sure you don't need any help? Not that I don't trust you," he added, flashing his best smile.

 

Chloe squinted at him. “No, I can handle this. But you can help me by keeping an eye on this video footage and coming to get me if you see anything on it while I’m gone okay?” She asked as she started to get up.

 

"I think I can manage that," Oliver replied. He took the laptop from her, watching the footage slowly go by. "Thanks," he added, once again feeling like something was off between them. Maybe finding this footage would help, even if Oliver wasn't really convinced.

 

Chloe nodded and squeezed his arm gently as she made her way into the kitchen. She went about getting out a frying pan, eggs, and everything else she needed as she went over Oliver’s words in her head. Ever since he got back it was like he was two different people. His actions and words were constantly conflicting and Chloe had no idea what was causing it.

 

She worked on cracking the eggs in a bowl and mixing them together before adding some butter to the pan, putting the flame on low and adding the eggs. Chloe stood there for a couple of minutes before reaching into her back pocket and pulling out her cell phone while keeping her eyes on the eggs.

 

Chloe dialed her cousin’s number and brought the phone to her ear, holding it against her shoulder so she could move the eggs around the pan with the spatula, while waiting for her cousin to pick up.

 

Lois was sitting behind her desk at the planet, her fingers flying over the keys as she wrote her latest article. Her cell phone buzzed on her desk and she kept typing, letting her eyes drift to the caller ID. When she saw Chloe's name on the screen, Lois hit the save button and grabbed the phone.

 

"Hey cuz, what's up?" she asked once she brought the phone to her ear.

 

Chloe balanced the phone as she turned the eggs awkwardly in the pan. “Hey Lo, are you busy?” She asked lightly, “I was hoping you might have a few minutes to talk.” Chloe needed to vent and she was hoping her cousin wouldn’t mind too much.

 

"I've always got time for you," Lois replied. She leaned back in her chair, making herself more comfortable. "What's going on? How's Ollie?" she asked.

 

Chloe sighed softly as she scraped the eggs out of the pan and put them on the plate. “Oliver’s okay. I’ve been looking through video footage all morning and I haven’t found anything yet. But hopefully I will soon because,” Chloe paused and glanced down at the pan before shutting the fire, “I’m afraid if I don’t that Oliver will stay this way and despite how much I care about him and how happy I am with him…I miss the way he was.” She said making sure to keep her voice soft so Oliver wouldn’t hear her confession. The last thing Chloe wanted to do was hurt him.

 

"I know you do," Lois said softly. They all missed the old Oliver. Things hadn't been the same without him and the thought of them never getting the real him back, was scary.

 

"You've been spending a lot of time with him," Lois pointed out, "Is there any indication that the guy we knew is still in there?" she asked.

 

“Yes,” Chloe said immediately as she pulled the pan off the stove and put it in the sink. She walked to the refrigerator as she continued to talk and grabbed a bottle of water. “He seems okay most of the time except for everything involving Green Arrow. He thinks helping people is useless and he’s stealing things and then giving them to the people who kidnapped him for five months,” Chloe said with a huff. “So that’s sort of an issue,” she explained.

 

"But he also helped you when you asked him to," Lois reminded her. She still didn't know the whole story with the laptop Oliver had brought Chloe, but she did know that his latest abduction had been a punishment for that. "That means he's still in there somewhere, Chlo. And if anyone is going to pull him out, it's going to be you."

 

Chloe pursed her lips, “Thanks,” she said softly, “I just wish I knew how to snap him out of it you know?” She asked before glancing at the eggs. “I should probably go give him his breakfast before he wonders where I went, but thanks for being my sounding board.” Chloe said gratefully.

 

"Anytime," Lois replied. "Call me if you need anything else," she added before ending the call and turning back to her article.

 

Chloe slid the phone into her back pocket and grabbed the plate and fork in one hand and the water in the other before walking back out to the living room. She glanced at Oliver watched as she leaned forward looking at the computer. Chloe smiled softly, “Hey you, breakfast is served,” she teased as she put the dish down beside him and then placed the water in front of it.

 

"Thanks," Oliver replied. He set the computer down and picked up the plate. "I appreciate you doing all this for me, Chloe." He felt guilty that there wasn't more that he could do for her.

 

Chloe sat beside him, “You don’t need to keep thanking me Ollie, I’m here for whatever you need, you know that,” she said lightly while squeezing his leg briefly before picking up the laptop. “How much of the footage did you get through? Did you see anything worthwhile?” She asked.

 

Oliver shook his head. "I'm starting to think this might be a dead end." He doubted that was what she wanted to hear, but these people they were dealing with knew what they were doing.

 

Chloe sent him a sideways glance before turning back to the screen and fast forwarding through some of the video. “Have a little faith Ollie,” the second the words fell from her mouth Chloe’s eyes widened and she pressed play on the feed. She watched as Oliver walked across the screen, but before he could make it to the elevator someone came up behind him, slammed some kind of bar against the back of his head and yanked him into the trunk of a car.

 

Chloe’s heartbeat sped up as she watched everything on the screen unfold and right before the man got into the car he glanced up giving the camera a clear picture of his face. Chloe froze the screen and took a screen shot of him before saving it and opening her email to send Tess a message. “I told you,” she said excitement clear in her voice.

Oliver's eyes widened in surprise, not only that they'd found the footage, but that the person who had grabbed him had been careless enough to look at the camera. "I've never seen that guy before." It was the truth. He'd met various people when he'd been kidnapped, but this face was completely new to him.

 

“Well I’m sending the picture to Tess so she can run it through our facial recognition software,” she explained, “We should know who this guy is by the end of the week.” She told him as she finished sending the email. Chloe shifted and faced Oliver, “See, I told you everything was going to be fine.” She said with a smile.

 

"I never doubted you for a second," Oliver replied. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips. "I hope you find what you're looking for, Sidekick." He still wasn't convinced it would change anything, but he liked seeing Chloe happy.

 

Chloe smiled, “I always get my guy, Hero,” her face brightened and she cupped his cheek, “You should know that,” she teased before leaning into him and pressing a light kiss to his lips. Chloe pulled back a minute later, “I’m going to run to Watchtower, will you be okay for a bit without me?” She asked softly as she brushed her thumb over his cheek.

 

"I'll be okay," Oliver replied. "I'm just going to finish eating and then maybe take a nap." He sent her a sheepish smile. "Maybe I'm not quite as recovered as I thought." He was feeling worn out and it wasn't like he'd done much that morning. He couldn't wait for this latest round of injuries to heal.

 

Chloe sent him a sympathetic look, “You’ll get there,” she said lightly, “Until then you do what you need to. I’ll be back soon.” She said before pressing another kiss to his lips and standing so she could grab her things before she left. Chloe was convinced this was the key to figuring out what in the world was wrong with Oliver and she couldn’t be happier.

 

______

 

Chloe’s fingers moved quickly over the keyboard, her eyes scanning the computer screen closely as she typed another code into the machine while rewatching some of the video footage to see if she had missed anything. Chloe had been at Watchtower for the past forty-five minutes and she was anxious to find out who the man on the video footage was and as much as she wanted to check on the search, Chloe knew Tess would call her as soon as the results were in.

 

Until then she needed to focus on Oliver’s email and phone records and try to see if there was any connection or pattern to the people calling him. Maybe if she could figure out who he’d been talking to that would help them too. Chloe was in the process of hacking into his second cell phone when something on the screen blinked.

 

Chloe turned her head and saw there was an incoming video call from Tess. She sucked in a sharp breath, swallowed hard and immediately paused her typing to reach over and answer it. “Hey,” she said anxiety building in her chest as she stared at the other woman, “Anything?”

 

"Yes," Tess replied, not bothering with small talk. There was no point in that after all these years. "The facial recognition system found a match." She pressed a button so the profile would show up on Chloe's screen as well. "His name is Colton Ramsey. But he wasn't in the criminal database. He was in our 33.1 files." After Oliver and the team had taken down all of Lex's labs years earlier, they had kept copies of the research and database for future reference. This wasn't the way Tess had expected that to pay off.

 

Chloe’s brows drew together as she looked away from the video call and glanced over the information that had just popped up on her screen, “I thought the team found places for all the metahumans they found in Lex’s labs so they could start over,” she said knowing that there were some who were too far gone to ever live normal lives again, but Oliver had done what he could for all of them.

 

“He was in Bell Reeve,” she commented knowing Tess had probably already read through the information. “But what-” Chloe paused as she read who Colton Ramsey’s known associates were. “Oh my god, Tess did you see who his known associates are?” Chloe asked as she immediately opened a new window on her screen and ran a search for his name to see what else would pop up.

 

"I did," Tess replied calmly. She gave Chloe a moment to collect herself. Colton had been working with various mob affiliates in and around Metropolis from the time he'd mysteriously disappeared from the institution. Some of the names on the list matched the ones Chloe had tracked down before Oliver had swooped in and rescued them. "But as interesting as that is, it's his power that really intrigued me."

 

She sent Chloe another file. This one talked in great detail about the mind control abilities that Colton possessed. His meteor powers were so strong that people who had been used as test subjects by Lex had no recollection of ever seeing his face, despite the days, sometimes months, that Colton spent manipulating their brains.

 

Chloe’s eyes widened, “Oh my god,” she said her voice soft. “This is it. We need to find him.” She said as she brought up the secured server and sent a message out to Victor, Bart, AC, and Hal even though she knew Tess would probably tell him. “If we can find Colton maybe he can fix Oliver,” she said her heart beating rapidly against her chest. This could finally be the answer they were looking for. Hope filled her chest and she glanced back at the video call and smiled at Tess. “Nice work,” she said relief filling her.

 

"Same to you," Tess replied. She could practically see Chloe trying not to get her hopes up, even as she mobilized the team. "How have things been going with Oliver?" she asked. After Chloe had let them know what happened recently, Tess had convinced Hal not to return to Metropolis right away. Things were still tense after the last time and Tess figured space was the best thing they could do for the time being.

 

Chloe looked up again and shrugged, “Things are okay. It’s hard to explain.” She said as she sent the last message and then straightened up. “When we’re together he’s like his old self, but the second I bring up the team or anything involving patrol or hero stuff it’s almost like he shut down and his whole demeanor changes.” Chloe pursed her lips. “It’s strange and disconcerting.”

 

"Colton might be the reason for that," Tess pointed out. "It makes sense," she added. Oliver was mostly the same except for when it came to his desire to bring down criminals. "We're going to figure this out, Chloe. We finally have a real lead."

 

Chloe smiled, “I know, this is really good.” She said before glancing back at the screen. “I’m going to run his name through the database and see if we can find an address for him also. Maybe we’ll be able to pick him up there. I want the guys to bring him in.” She said matter-of-factly.

 

Tess nodded. "Is there anything else you need me to do?" she asked. Tess didn't particularly like sitting around aimlessly, but it wasn't like she could go out into the field and track him down.

 

Chloe shook her head, “No. I’m going to track this Colton down and send the guys in to get him. I’ll keep you updated.” She said, “Thanks again for helping out.” She said genuinely knowing how hard the other woman had been looking.

 

"You don't have to thank me. We're all on the same side," Tess reminded. "I'm here if you need anything else," she added before hitting the button to end the video conference. Tess really hoped this was the answer they'd been waiting for.


	9. Chapter 9

Oliver made his way out of the elevator and toward the double doors. He'd called Chloe a few times and kept getting her voicemail and since he was tired of sitting on his couch, he'd made the walk over to Watchtower to see what she was doing. As he moved toward the doors, he could already hear the sounds of typing and monitors beeping, followed by Chloe's voice giving directions.

 

Oliver paused, wondering if maybe he should come back. Chloe didn't really want him around when there was team business happening. Then again, she had taken the block off the elevator and his password worked again.

 

He decided to chance it and headed inside. Oliver could see the dots on the monitors and realized she was in the middle of running a mission. Curious, he cleared his throat to let her know that he was there. "Hey."

 

Chloe glanced away from the monitors surprise crossing her face at the sight of Oliver standing there. She smiled and held up a finger before talking into her com. “You’re in. I want you guys to grab him and bring him back here. Use the arrow I sent with Bart. It’s one of Oliver’s gas arrows.” She said before listening to Victor’s response.

 

“Yes, knock him out and come straight back to Watchtower, all of you,” Chloe gaze traveled toward Oliver again, “I’ve already got Oliver here.” She said before nodding even though they couldn’t see her. “I’ve got you on the monitors go ahead and initiate radio silence.” When the sound in her ear died away she turned and took her com out and addressed Oliver, “Hey Hero, what are you doing here?” She asked while closing some of the distance between them.

 

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Apparently I'm in the right place judging by what you just said." He glanced at the screens again, but it was impossible to tell what was going on just from the dot placement. "I can tell I'm interrupting. Do you want to fill me in?" he asked.

 

Chloe’s face brightened. “As a matter of fact I do,” she came to a stop in front of him and rested her hands against his chest. “I’m pretty sure we found the guy that took you from the clock tower,” she told him as she met his gaze. “The team is going to pick him up and bring him here so that he can fix what he did.” She explained with a satisfied grin.

 

"What do you mean fix what he did?" Oliver asked, confused. All the video had shown was the guy hitting him in the head and stuffing him into a car. "I'm already back from that kidnapping," he pointed out.

 

Chloe hesitated not sure how he was going to take what she wanted to tell him. “Ollie, I know that you don’t think there’s anything wrong with you,” she said rushing to finish her sentence before he could say anything, “And there’s isn’t, not when it comes to everyday things. But this new obsession you have with helping the bad or not helping us,” Chloe corrected, “It’s unusual for you and this guy he’s a metahuman with the power to mess with people’s memories and brain chemistry and stuff, something I’m actually not too clear about just yet, but we’ll figure it out.”

 

Oliver opened his mouth and then closed it as he tried to process what she was telling him. "So you think someone messed with my head," he said quietly. Oliver wanted to say that didn't make sense and he would have known, but for some reason, he couldn't make the words come out. "So you've found this guy?" he asked instead.

 

Chloe nodded enthusiastically. “Yes,” she said as she squeezed his hand gently, “Are you okay? I know this is a lot and I know you probably don’t believe me, but I swear this is going to make things better.” She said softly.

 

"I'm okay," Oliver replied. "And it's not that I don't believe you; I just don't know what all of this means." He didn't want her to think he was doubting her because he wasn't. It was just a lot to deal with.

 

Chloe nodded understanding, “I know, but hopefully as soon as the guys get Colton here it will all make more sense.” She released his hand and motioned for him to follow her over to the computer console, “Sorry I just need to check on the team.” Chloe told him before picking her com up off the table, putting it in her ear and glancing back over at the screen.

 

"Go ahead," Oliver said. He needed a moment to himself anyway. He moved across the room, pausing in front of the stained glass window. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he knew his friends were right and something had changed inside of him. He just didn't know if it was as simple as someone messing with his head or if this was just the way he was going to be forever. If that was the case, he wondered if Chloe would ever be okay with that. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

 

Chloe’s eyes followed the dots and she bit her lower lip as she noticed they were outside the building. The com in her ear beeped and she had to remind herself to breath, “Cyborg, do you have him?” She asked her chest filled with anxiety.

 

"We have him," Victor replied. Colton was slumped over on the floor, the effects of the gas doing their thing. Victor motioned for Bart to pick him up. "Bart's going to bring him back now. I'll do a sweep of this place and see if there's anything here and then I'll be back too."

 

Chloe let out a sigh of relief, “Perfect, good work Cyborg,” the words were barely out of her mouth when the double doors burst open and Bart sped inside.

 

He dropped Colton to the floor and glanced around grinning when he spotted Chloe and Oliver. “Hey Chloelicious, Bossman, it’s good to see you.” He said addressing Oliver. It had been a while since Oliver had been in Watchtower with good reason.

 

Chloe quickly went to grab something to secure Colton to one of the desk chairs with before he woke up.

 

"Hey Bart," Oliver said, "It's good to see you too." He meant that. Despite the fact that he didn't want to be part of the team anymore, he really did miss his friends. His eyes drifted to the unconscious man on the floor. Aside from the video footage Chloe had shown him, Oliver did not remember ever seeing his face.

 

“Someone help me,” Chloe said as she started to lift him beneath his arms and drag him towards the chair.

                         

Bart chuckled lightly, “I’ve got him,” he said as he took Colton from Chloe and hauled him onto the chair. He grabbed the zip ties Chloe had brought over and tied Colton up until the other man was secured to the chair. He grinned, “I’ve gotta run back out and check on AC and Vic, but let us know how this goes.” He said pointing to Colton before disappearing in a gust of wind.

 

Chloe’s hair blew around her face and she pushed it down before turning to Oliver. She sent him half a smile, “I guess we just need to wait for him to wake up.” She said softly as she shifted towards Oliver.

 

"I guess so," Oliver replied. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and continued to pace, not really sure what to expect. He could practically see the hopefulness pouring off Chloe and he didn't want to see her disappointed again.

 

Chloe followed Oliver’s movements and she could see that he looked uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure what to say to him so she stayed silent as they waited. About twenty minutes later Chloe heard a soft groan and her head jerked toward Colton. “He’s waking up,” she said softly before stepping closing to him.

 

Chloe paused a couple of feet away from him and when he didn’t open her eyes right away she kicked his foot. “Wake up,” she said sternly.

 

Colton let out another groan and then slowly opened his eyes, instinctively fighting against the restraints. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded. His gaze darted around the room and his eyes widened a little when he spotted Oliver. "Did you bring me here? Are you crazy?" he demanded.

 

"I've been called worse," Oliver replied. He crossed his arms over his chest and moved to stand beside Chloe. "And you kidnapped me so I'm not sure where this indignant tone is coming from," he added.

 

Colton glared at him. "You're never going to learn," he muttered.

 

Chloe glared at the man sitting there. “Hey, you’re talking to me now buddy,” she said annoyance clear in her tone. “I know what you did to Oliver and you’re going to fix it.” She said matter-of-factly. “And before you come up with a bunch of reasons why you can’t remember where you are and that I’ve got several people who can make your life difficult if you don’t do what I’m asking.” Chloe didn’t like threatening people, but when it came to Oliver there wasn’t much she wouldn’t do.

 

Colton glared right back. "They'll kill me and no offense lady, but they're a lot scarier than you are. I'm not doing anything," he told her firmly.

 

Oliver took a step forward, reached out and grabbed the front of Colton's shirt, jerking him up in the chair. "What about me?" he asked. "I know who you're afraid of and I think you need to be more concerned about what I'm going to do to you if you don't start talking. Chloe, there's a crossbow around here somewhere, right?" he asked, not taking his eyes off Colton.

 

A slow smile spread across her face as she saw Colton pale slightly. “As a matter of fact you do, should I go get it?” She inquired lightly though the look on her face said she was pleased with the question.

 

"Let's give Colton here a minute to think about it," Oliver replied. He arched an eyebrow at the man. "What do you think? I might be a little out of practice, but I don't fail to hit my targets. Tell the lady what she wants to know," he ordered.

 

Colton swallowed hard, his eyes darting between them. "She already knows. I used my power. It was an order. I had to do it or they would have killed me," he insisted.

 

Chloe crossed her arms over her chest. “I want you to undo it. Unscramble whatever you scrambled.” She needed Oliver back, her Oliver. “And if you help us I promise we’ll make sure they don’t hurt you because as soon as you get him back on track,” Chloe motioned to Oliver, “He’s going to take them down.” She told him.

 

"Good luck with that," Colton muttered. He sighed and struggled with his bindings once more. "I need to be able to use my hand."

 

Oliver glanced at Chloe. He still wasn't sure about any of this, but he knew this was what she wanted. "Okay," he said. Oliver walked over to the cabinet and grabbed a knife. He undid the zip ties and then handed the knife to Chloe. "Just in case he tries something." He motioned for Colton to get up. "So how does this work?" he asked.

 

Colton stood up. "This is going to hurt," he warned. He pressed his hands to Oliver's temples and closed his eyes. A few seconds later, jolts of electricity slipped from his fingers. Oliver groaned, but Colton kept pushing, increasing his power as he searched for what he was looking for inside his head. It took him another minute to find it and when he did, he pulled it out, sending another jolt of electricity through Oliver, which caused him to fall to the floor.

 

A hint of fear crossed Chloe’s face and she was by Oliver’s side in a second, kneeling next to him as she gripped the knife tightly in one hand while the other went to his shoulder. “Ollie, can you hear me? Are you alright?” She asked, her heartbeat slamming against her chest erratically. Chloe glanced up at Colton, “What did you do to him?”

 

"What you asked me to do," Colton replied. He considered running, but it wasn't like he'd be safe now that he'd helped his boss's enemies. He sat back down in the chair. "You asked me to fix him. I did. But you can't root around in someone's brain without consequences. He'll be fine. Just give him a few minutes."

 

Chloe swallowed hard and shifted back giving Oliver some space. She gnawed on her bottom lip feeling helpless as she watched the pain shift over Oliver’s face. Every once in a while Chloe glanced over to make sure Colton stayed in place, but for the bulk of the time her eyes stayed trained on Oliver as she waited for the effects of Colton’s power to wear off.

 

Oliver groaned, his hand instantly going to his head. He wasn't even sure what the hell had just happened, but it had definitely hurt. He opened his eyes and frowned when he realized he was sprawled out on the floor. "What the hell?" He spotted Chloe hovering over him. "What happened?" he asked.

 

Chloe nodded towards Colton, “He was helping you,” she said softly, “At least he said he was. How are you feeling? She asked searching his face wondering if he was finally back to normal.

 

"I don't know," Oliver replied. His head was killing him and the urge to vomit was nearly overwhelming. He struggled to push himself up off the floor and then reached for the counter, using it to steady himself as he waited for the room to stop spinning. He glanced over at Colton and memories started hitting him so fast that he had to close his eyes as he tried not to fall over again. "Oh, God."

 

Chloe reached out, worry coloring her features as her hand steadied Oliver. She wasn’t sure what was going through his head at the moment, but by the tone of his voice she could tell he was remembering something, at least she hoped he was. “Everything’s going to be okay,” she said softly not sure if she was trying to reassure him or herself.”

 

"I don't know about that," Oliver replied. He felt sick and it no longer had anything to do with whatever Colton had just done to him. He'd betrayed his friends; the people who mattered most in the world to him. Not only that, but he'd gone out of his way to hurt them and he'd sided with criminals. Everyone had told him that something was wrong, but he'd refused to hear them. How was he supposed to get past that?

 

Chloe squeezed his arm, “Ollie,” she said softly trying to get his attention wanting him to look at her. “It will, I promise,” she said knowing this had to be hard on him. “Everyone will understand.” Chloe told him sincerely as she side eyed Colton just to make sure he wasn’t going anywhere.

 

Oliver shook his head as he saw her gaze shift. "He knows he's safer here than out there," he said matter-of-factly. Oliver knew the kind of people they were dealing with, he'd always known, but now that his mind had been cleared, he realized just how much worse he'd made things for everyone. The shame tightened in his chest, making it difficult to breathe.

 

Chloe put the knife on the desk and shifted so she was standing in front of Oliver. She reached up and cupped his cheek. “Hey,” she said softly, “Talk to me. What’s going on in that head of yours?” She asked worry once again making its way onto her face. Chloe needed to tell the team it worked, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave Oliver at least not right now.

 

"I'm sorry," Oliver replied. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you and to everyone else." There was no excuse for that and he couldn't seem to reconcile his behavior in his mind. He should have been stronger. Oliver prided himself on all the things he'd overcome, but he'd been too weak to beat these guys and he'd put all his friends in danger because of it.

 

Chloe brushed her thumb over his cheek, “Don’t apologize. This isn’t your fault. _They_ did this to you,” she said firmly, “And I need you to help the team make sure they never do this to anyone again.” She said softly, “I know that’s a lot to ask right now, but I believe in you Ollie, I always have.”

 

Oliver watched her for a moment and then he nodded. Chloe was right. They had to make sure that they took down the organization. He would deal with his personal issues later. "I know where we can find these guys." He glanced over at Colton. "We're going to have to send him away." They couldn't risk just putting him back in Bell Reave given how easy it was to get people out of there.

 

Chloe nodded as she followed Oliver’s gaze. “I’ll get on erasing his identity and creating a new for one for him,” she said as she stepped away from Oliver pausing briefly to glance over her shoulder. “Do you want me to get a hold of the team? Or do you want to do it?” she asked as she met his gaze.

 

"You can do it," Oliver replied. He wasn't sure he was ready to face any of them after what he'd done. "I'll pull up the coordinates." He walked over to the spare computer terminal and busied himself with the task, easily finding the map and blueprints for the building where the organization ran their operation.

 

Chloe pursed her lips, but did as he asked and finished making her way over to the main computer console. She spared a glance at Oliver again before getting to work on sending the team a message and creating a new identity for Colton. She could already see Oliver closing in on himself and it was something she wanted to talk to him about, but she knew it was going to have to wait. They’d take down the bad guy and then she’d talk to him. Things were going to be okay, Chloe needed them to be.

 

______

 

Oliver stood on the rooftop of the building, his eyes trained on the street below where officers were leading the members of the organization into squad cars. After Oliver, Hal and Clark had ambushed them and collected evidence, Chloe had called in an anonymous tip to let the local police know the vigilantes once again had a present for them. Clark had left when he'd heard screams and Hal had taken the additional evidence back to Watchtower, leaving Oliver by himself for the first time since everything had gone down earlier.

 

He still couldn't believe he'd been manipulated so easily. Logically, Oliver knew it hadn't been easy; they'd kept him for five months and it had taken a long time for them to get inside his head, but in the end, they had done it. He'd been weak and people had been hurt because of him. Fresh shame washed over him and he let out a shaky breath as he heard a familiar sound behind him. "Coming to check on me?" he asked.

 

Hal had dropped off the rest of the evidence to Chloe before making his way back to Oliver knowing as much as his friend had said he was ‘fine’ that he wasn’t. Hal shrugged, “More like coming to see how you’re handling things,” he said honestly as he closed the distance between them, his uniform still on. Hal could see the tension pouring off Oliver in waves and he wasn’t quite sure how to help, but he wanted his friend to know he was there.

 

Hal paused at the end of the roof and followed Oliver’s gaze. “You did a good job tonight,” he commented lightly.

 

"Thanks," Oliver replied. "But it doesn't make up for the way I've been acting." He held up his hand. "I know what you're going to say, but it's not an excuse. You guys tried to tell me and I ignored you. Not only that, I actively worked against you. That's not something we can just forget."

 

Hal nodded, “I agree,” he said simply. He continued to look out over the sitting watching as different members of the largest crime organization in Metropolis were shoveled into the backs of cars. “What happened can’t be pushed aside. You made our lives hell and I was pissed for a while, but Oliver it wasn’t you fault.”

 

He sent him a sideways glance, “I know that doesn’t change what happened and it will take time to get things back to the way they were, but no one blames you for something that was out of your control. You didn’t choose for this to happen and if we’re being honest here we all have some things to atone for.” He admitted as he looked away from Oliver.

 

"Maybe you're right," Oliver agreed, even though he knew he was just saying the words; he didn't really mean them. He wanted to believe what he was saying, but the guilt was too fresh. "Thanks for trying to get through to me. I know I didn't do you any favors while I was out of it."

 

Hal cracked a smile, “Yeah, Tess didn’t love hearing about my wingman abilities,” he joked, “But it’s okay.” He was silent for a minute, “I’m sorry that I got so frustrated that I left,” he said with a frown. “And I owe Chloe more than one apology.” He could see the guilt on Oliver’s face.

 

Hal knew it wasn’t going to go away over night, but he wanted his friend to know all was forgiven on his end. “The past seven months were hard on everyone, not knowing where you were for the first five…it was hard. But we’re all glad your back Oliver.” Hal finally turned so he was facing is friend. “I need you to know that no matter what’s happened you and I are good.”

 

"You're not going to hug me now, are you?" Oliver joked. But he reached out and patted Hal's shoulder. "I appreciate everything you've done or tried to do. And Chloe knows you're an ass, just like Tess knows I'm one," he added, a small smile crossing his lips before his expression turned serious once more.

 

"It is going to take some time," Oliver agreed. "But it means a lot to me that you've been here, even when I didn't want you to be. I'm not going to forget that."

 

Hal smiled, “Anytime,” he slapped Oliver on the back. “Now, can you stop being morbidly depressing and come back to Watchtower where everyone else is celebrating without you,” he joked.

 

Oliver laughed. "You've always been a master with words. Seriously though, I'm not up for that." He shook his head when Hal opened his mouth. "I know what you're going to say and maybe everyone understands, but I don't, not yet. I need some time. Just tell everyone that I went home and I'll talk to them soon."

 

Hal sighed, but nodded. He understood why Oliver needed time and he would respect that. “What do you want me to tell your girl?” He asked his tone casual as he flexed his fingers beneath the material of his gloves.

 

"Just tell her the truth," Oliver replied. He had a feeling he knew exactly how Chloe would react to that, but it was the only thing he could do at the moment. "Enjoy the rest of your night. You guys have earned this."

 

Hal watched Oliver for a minute before nodding, “I’ll see you later man.” He patted Oliver’s shoulder, took a few steps and then pushed himself into the sky heading back to Watchtower hoping his friend would be okay.

 

Oliver watched him go as he thought about what Hal had said. On some level, he knew his friend was right. The team was going to forgive him and they would understand why he'd done what he had. But Oliver wasn't sure forgiving himself was going to be that simple. Sighing, he reached for his crossbow and prepared to head back to the clock tower.

 

______

 

Chloe sat on the couch in the darkened clock tower apartment, her fingers nervously tapping against her knees. She wasn’t sure Oliver was going to come back to his apartment right away, but after Hal dropped off the rest of the evidence at Watchtower, she left, leaving the rest of the team there to celebrate their win. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to celebrate with them, but seeing Oliver was more important and she had a feeling he wouldn’t be heading back to Watchtower.

 

Chloe sighed and gnawed on her bottom lip. She started to reach forward to grab her cell phone from the coffee table to see what time it was when she heard the sound of feet hitting the floor outside on the balcony. Chloe swallowed hard, wiped her hands on her skirt and stood right as the door opened. “Hey,” she said softly barely giving him a chance to walk into the apartment.

 

 

"Hey," Oliver replied. He wasn't exactly surprised to see her. Oliver knew Chloe pretty well and he'd seen her watching him earlier when they'd been at Watchtower planning the take down. She was worried about him and she wasn't the type who could just flip a switch and get over that. He pulled off his glasses and set them down on the desk along with his crossbow before he started removing his gloves. "How long have you been waiting?" he asked.

 

Chloe took a step forward and then paused shrugging. “Not too long,” she said while watching him tug off his gloves. “Were you patrolling?” She asked as she took another couple of steps towards him. Chloe didn’t want to push, but she needed to know what was going on in his head.

 

"No," Oliver replied. "I hung around to watch the aftermath and then Hal came back for a little rooftop chat. He wanted me to know that everyone doesn't blame me for what happened. I sent him back to Watchtower alone because I wasn't really up for seeing everyone."

 

Chloe nodded her eyes still on him. “Does that mean you’re not up for seeing me?” She asked as she caught her bottom lip between her teeth. Chloe could see that Oliver wasn’t exactly in the mood for socializing, but she didn’t want to leave him alone to slip further down that slippery slope of guilt.

 

"Have I ever asked you to leave?" Oliver considered that for a moment. "Maybe a better question would be if I've ever asked you to leave and believed you would." Chloe was as stubborn as he was, possibly more, and it had never mattered over the years whether or not he'd wanted to be alone. She'd never let him when she was worried. "I don't mind that you're here."

 

Chloe hesitated for a minute before closing the distance between them and wrapping her arms around his neck. She leaned into him and took a deep breath letting it out slowly. It had been a long time since she’d seen him in his uniform and just knowing he was back on their side made her heart warm. Though Chloe was unsure what this meant for them. “I was worried,” she admitted her breath hitting the skin of his neck as she spoke.

 

"I'm sorry," Oliver replied. He wrapped his arms around her waist and just held her close, letting everything else fade away for a moment. Maybe it was selfish, but he needed the comfort. He ran his hand over the back of her head, his fingers teasing her hair as he let some of his tension ease. "I'm glad you're here."

 

Chloe smiled, “I’m glad you’re glad,” she teased gently as she ran her hand up and down his back. “You know I’m here right?” She asked softly, “If you want to talk or I you need anything. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.” Chloe knew he probably didn’t want to talk about what happened, but at some point he might and she wanted him to know she’d be there whenever he was ready.

 

"I know that." Oliver pulled back to meet her gaze, but kept his arms around her. "I feel bad about the way I acted. I hate that I didn't listen to you or Hal or Tess or anyone else. I know Colton had a hand in it, but that doesn't make me feel better."

 

Chloe tilted her head to the side, her brows drawing together in thought. “I know Ollie, and I know it’s going to take time for you to come to terms with what happened, but we’re all here and we understand.” She said giving his arm a slight squeeze.

 

“I know that doesn’t make it all better, but we’ve all survived worse.” Chloe wasn’t sure what to say to make him feel better and she knew it wasn’t going to be an easy fix. “We can just take things one day at a time until you’re feeling better about what happened.”

 

Oliver nodded. "Why aren't you angrier with me?" he asked curiously. "I pissed off Hal and Tess to the point that they wouldn't really speak to me unless they had to and I know you were angry and hurt more than once." He ignored the guilt he felt, needing to get this out. "But you stayed with me." Not only that, but everything about their relationship had changed.

 

Chloe was silent for a minute as she contemplated his question. “I was hurt that you were working against us, but I also knew something had to be wrong because I _know_ you,” she said as she held his gaze, “And you’d never act the way you were acting without a reason.” Chloe explained. “Plus, you didn’t act the same way with me that you did with everyone else.”

 

"That's because I'm in love with you," Oliver replied. As soon as the words left his mouth, he rolled his eyes. "Apparently having my brain messed with also damaged my charm." He brushed his fingers over her cheek. "I love you, Chloe. When I was gone all those months, all I wanted was to see you again. That's why I wasn't going to waste a second chance."

 

Chloe felt moisture gather in her eyes at his words. She swallowed hard giving her emotions a second to settle before speaking, “I love you too,” she said softly as she shifted closer to him. “I’ve been waiting to tell you because I was hoping to have all of you back before I said anything.” Chloe said as she ran a hand down his chest and smiled. “I was so scared when you were gone,” she whispered, “I still haven’t forgiven myself for not finding you.”

 

"That was not your fault," Oliver said firmly. "These guys were good. They kept me underground nearly the entire time. Their original plan was to kill me to send a message, but once they figured out my identity, they changed their minds and decided to use me instead. But it's not your fault. And it's over now. You saw to that because you never gave up on me. Now tell me you love me again," he teased, not giving her a chance to say anything before he leaned down and covered her mouth with his.

 

Chloe gripped Oliver’s cheeks and returned the kiss enthusiastically, moving her mouth over his and letting him deepen the kiss until air became an issue. Chloe broke the kiss and grinned, her thumb brushing against his skin. “I love you,” she said softly before pressing a kiss to his jaw, “I love you,” she said again as she trailed her lips over his skin, a small grin pulling at her lips.

 

Oliver laughed. "I love you too, Chloe. So much," he said as he ran his fingers through her hair, his other arm wrapped tightly around her waist, keeping her body close to him. "When I was gone, I promised myself that I wouldn't hide the way I felt about you anymore because of the 'what ifs'. I've known for a long time that nothing matters to me as much as you do."

 

Chloe heart warmed and her face lit up at Oliver’s words. “You’ve felt this way for a while?” she inquired wondering how she’d never noticed. “I honestly didn’t even think you noticed me in that way,” she told him while pressing herself even closer to him, “I wish I had,” Chloe said while dancing her fingers down his arm.

 

"I'm a smart guy, Chloe," Oliver pointed out. "I've known for a long time that you're the most amazing woman I've ever met. But I also knew that our friendship was important and I didn't want to jeopardize that if you didn't feel the same way. Then I got kidnapped and I hated myself for wasting time."

 

Chloe hugged him tighter to her body. “Well there will be no more wasting time,” she said matter-of-factly, “Because I’m all yours and you’re not getting rid of me.” Chloe leaned up and pressed a light kiss to his lips.

 

Oliver returned the kiss and then wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to his chest again. "Believe me, that's the last thing I want." He rested his head on top of hers. "I don't know about you, but I'm beat. Could I interest you in spending the night?" he asked.

 

Chloe chuckled softly against him. “Oh, you thought I was going home, that’s adorable.” She quipped as she ran a hand down his body. Chloe stepped out of his arms and shifted back. She held out a hand to Oliver and cocked her head to the side, “Bed?”

 

Oliver smiled. "Bed," he agreed. Oliver tugged her closer and kissed her again and then pulled back, keeping her hand in his as he led her toward the stairs. He knew there were still some issues that he was going to have to deal with in regards to the team and his guilt, but he felt better knowing Chloe would be by his side.


End file.
